The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-26
PRESIDENT IN
 THE HUNGER He Takes Deep Sea Ride Aboard Submarine. ROOSEVELT DELIGHTED Impressed With Possibilities
 of Tiny Boat. Chief Executive Endears Himself to Naval ORicers and Men the
 World over-Describes
 the Experience.
ROOSEVELT DELIGHTED


 Roosevelt late this afternoon made descent into the waters of Long Island Sound on board the submarine torpedo boat Plunger. He was aboard the yes sel about three hours. At one time the little boat was submerged for fifty min | utes and in that time was put through all of the submarine feats of which she is capable The President expressed | tonight his delight at the novel experi- l ence and said that he was intensely im- | pressed with the manner in which sne was handled. Tn thus bravtng the dan- gers of submarine maneuvering the President has endeared himself to naval officers and men the world over ana made Lieut.. Charles H. Nelson. com mander of the Plunger, the proudest and happiest man in the United States Navy.
 The Presidents intention not only to make a personal inspection of the tiny vessel likely to prove so deadly m na- val warfare, but to make submarine l descent in it, was reached after con- | ference with Lieutenant Nelson. The Plunger's commander explained to Pres ident Roosevelt the operations or the 1 boat ard assured him that trip on 1 her and descent into the depths Of Long l Island Sound would be as devoid of l danger as would be a trip on a New York subway express train. The Pres | tdent has long desired to watch the | operations of submarine torpedo boat at close range and before this would | have made a trip in one had he not | heen deterred from taking the risk by ;kc advice of his friends and ofticlal associates. Convinced by the logic of | Lieutenant Nelson, he arranged to take a trip on the Plunger and to have the little vessel perform all her wonderful fsats while he was on board
 The special trial of the boat with the President on board took place between 8 and o'clock this afternoon in Long Island Sound, just off the entrance to Oyster Bay Shortly after o'clock the | President went aboard the Piunger m one of the launches of the naval yacht Sylph which he boarded at the J. west Roosevelt pier.
 On Bottom of Sound.
 As soon as the President had de- 1 scended into the boat the manholes were closed and, conveyed by the na- ! val tender Apache, the Plunger started | for the Sound No manouvers were at- | tempted until. the vessel was well be- yond the entrance to the bay. stin northeast breeze. which had been l blowing since last night, kicked up heavy sea in the Sound, but the Plum ger behaved beautifully. The water where the trial took place is about | forty opinion of Lieutenant Nelson and his | experts. to enable the vessel to do her hest work Soon after the vessel | reached the necessary depth of water she was directed downward until she rested on the bottom of the sound Then the mechanism Of the craft was explained minutely to the President by Lieutenant Nelson so that he after ward experienced no difficulty in un- derstandinR the manouvers which were performed. While the President thus was resting on the bottom of the sound in a submarine boat. storm forty rect above him was raging unnoticed. Rain descended in torrents and a northeast CT whipped the surface of the water into big rollers. but 1t was as quiet and peaceful where the President sat as an easy parlor chair would be.
 Explanations of the working of the vessel completed, Lieutenant Nelson be- gan to put her through her paces. From the bottom a porpoise was tried; that IS. tbe boat would ascend to the surface of the sound for several seconds, long enough to enable her commander to sight any warship that might be within view, and then she dived again imme- diately. After this manouver had been repeated a few times, the Plunger was sent down a distance of 20 feet below inc surface and her engines stopped. Then the engines were reversed. and inc boat ascended to the surface back ward. Lieutenant Nelson made his boat perform the remarkable feat Of diving to a depth of 20 feet. and while going a full speed at that depth reversing
 iei Vessel Kept MOtionIess.
 The complete turn occupied only one minute. Subsequently, the engines were stopped and the vessel was submerged to a depth of 20 feet. There she would be kept motioAless as demonstration of her ability to remain in that posi- tion for hours while awaiting an op-
 nortunity to launch one of her torpe- does at a vessel of blockading squad ron which might be passing or repass- ing a given point
 After many manuvers had been per formed. Lieutenant Nelson ordered all tbe lights on board to be extinguished to demonstrate how thoroughly the roAnbers of the crew knew their busi- nes They worked perfectly In the inky darkness, evidently with as much skill and ease as they performed their duties in the glare of the electric light
 During the operations of the Plum ger the tender remained with in a short distance. prepared to render any assistance that might DC necessary. She was not needed, however, and the PlunRer returned to her moorings without an untoward incident.
 
 of inc crew as he left the vessel to return to Sagamore HILL
 Tn describing his experience tonight President Roosevelt expressed great satisfaction with the manner In which the tiny vessel was managed. He re- parked particularly on the possibili- tIes of the submarine torpedo boats in actual warfare. He related the details of his experience with evident pleasure. Nobody, not even the mem hers of his family, was aware of the Traatdent's intention to make the de- scent in the Plunger except, of course, [ lieutenant Nelson. On result of the secrecy maintained by the President was that the Plunger mad practically tbe entire Long Island Sound to her saif There was scarcely a vessel in IsiEht all pleasure craft having been driven to shelter by the heavy storm.
 tomorrow at 9:30 o'clock in the morning the Plunger will go out to | fpfr