The San Francisco call., 1905-08-26
Guides Tiny Craft
Under Direction
of Officer.
Takes Wheel and
Maneuvers the
Little Boat.
Expresses Himself
as Pleased With
Experience
Special Dispatch to The Call.

OYSTER BAY, Aug. 25.-For fifty min
utes part of the time in utter darkness.
President Roosevelt late this afternoon
was at the bottom of Long Island Sound
He took a dive in the submarine boat
Plunger. which was submerged while a
fierce gale ragged and which was put
| through all the movements of which she
is capable while the commander-in-chief
of the navy was battened down in her in
terror.
The President had invited some friends
to see the tests of the Plunger from the
deck Of the Sylph tomorrow morning.
No. one expected that the submarine
would stir from her T.oorings alonesiae
the Apache in to-day's stormy weather
But the President, when the storm was
at its worst. skipped down to his private
landing and ordered Lieutenant Nelson
to take him to the Plunger. The visit
was an entire surprise to the crew. When
Mr.. Roosevelt stepped on the platform
that serves the Pfunger for deck the
rain was falling in sheets and choppy
sea was rolling in .ne mouth of the har-
Dor.
Mr.. Roosevelt at once stepped into the
narrow standing room beneath the con-
ming tower, the matches were closed and
the Plunger, consorted by the Apache,
headed on the surface for the harbor
mouth. The Apache stood away and the
submarine was at once sent toward the
bottom. At depth of thirty-fve feet or
so there was a halt of few minutes and
then the boat was moved again and sent
to the bottom.
After the President had been allowed
to thoroughly appreciate the new sensa-
tion Lieutenant Nelson gave an exhibi-
tion of what Is called porpoise diving.
The Plunger was rushed to the surface,
whore she remained civ
onds, long enough for those in command
in time of war to sight warship and
note her location for the purposes of
destruction. Then there was a dive to a
safe depth and a repetition of the per-
Torrance. The Plunger was then stopped
at depth Of twenty feet Her engine
was stopped and she was sent to the
surface stern foremost. Again twenty
feet below the storm-swept face of the
bay the submarine was made to turn a
complete circle and reverse her course
in just one minute.
Then she was sent again to the bottom.
where she lay motionless in order to
demonstrate how easy it is for her to lie
In wait under water for q warship. Lieu
tenant Nelson extinguished all the lights
TO show how perfectly the machinery of
the boat could be handled by the crew
when darkness was necessary precau-
ton. For the first time in history Pres
ident of the United States was in utter
darkness at the bottom of sea swept
by singing gale.
But the President was more than a pas
senger. There was nothing that could be
done in the specification of marine in
genuity that he did not attempt with his
own hands. He took the wheel in the
coming tower, with Lieutenant Nelson
at his side, started motors, reversed
them, operated the submerging apparatus
and finally fired blank torpedo.
Judging from the Presidents expression
on coming ashore about 6 o'clock in the
Dart the experience was pleasing to him.
He congratulated Lieutenant Nelson on
the way the Plunger was handled and
shook hands with each of the eleven men
in the crew.
The visit to the Plunger in weather
that made walking on shore burden
was characteristic of the President
He has longed for an opportunity to
know Just how it feels to handle sub
marine and just what it can be made
to do. For days he has given out Of
that under no circumstances would he
go down in the Plunger in her coming
inspection. This is literally true for
the regular test OF the submarine takes
place tomorrow.
Mr.. Roosevelt could not resist the
temptation to-day to experience actual
work in a submarine under uniavorable
conditions. Even his secretary did not
know until he was down that he was
going to undertake this extraordinary
adventure.
Lieutenant Nelson tonight Is being
heartily congratulated by his fellow
oflcers on the Sylph that his little craft
answered the unexpected call without
the slightest hitch or accident