Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-09-02
UNDER OYSTER BAY
President Goes Down In the
Submarine Plunger.
SUBMERGED FOR FIFTY MINUTES
MIR. Roosevelt Inamenseiy Impressed
witt, the Boat and The Manner In
which Lieutenant Nelson
Handles Her.

OYSTER BAY, n. L., Aug. 20
President Roosevelt made a descent In
Long Island sound on board the sub
marine torpedo boat Pluuger. lie was
aboard the vessel about three hours
At one time the little boat was sub
merged for fifty minutes and in that
time was put through all Of the subrna-
rine feats Of which she is capable
The president expressed his delight
at the novel experience and said that
he was immensely impressed with the
boat and with the manner in which she
was handled
In thus Drawing the dangers Of sub
marine maneuyerlng the president has
endeared himself TO naval officers and
men the world over and made Lieuten-
ant Charles II. Nelson, commander of
the Plunger, the proudest and happiest
man in the United States navy.
AS soon as the president entered the
boat the manhoies We're closed, and,
conveyed by the naval tender Apache.
the Plunger started for the sound No
maneuyers were attempted until the
vessel was well beyond the entrance to
the bay. A stiff northeast breeze kick
ed up heavy sea in the sound but the
Plunger behaved beautifully The wa
ter where the trial took place is about
forty feet deep.
After the vessel reached the neces-
sary depth of water she was directed
Il Il -
tom of the sound Then the mechanism
of the craft was explained infinitely to
the president by Lieutenant Nelson, so
that he afterward experienced no diff
Guilty in understanding the maneuvers
which were performed.
While the president thus was resting
on the bottom Of the sound in subma-
rine boat a storm forty feet above him
was raging unnotlced. The rain de-
scended in torrents, and the northeast
er whipped the surface of the water in
to big rollers, but it was as quiet and
peaceful where the president sat as in
a parlor
Explanations OF the working of the
vessel having been completed, Lieuten-
ant Nelson began TO put her through
her PAGES. From the bottom porpoise
diving was tried-that is, the 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 in view, and
then dive again Immediately After
this maneuver had been repeated a
few times the Plunger was sent down
a distance of twenty feet below the
surface and her engines stopped.
Then the engines were reversed and
the boat assembled to the surface back
wards. Lieutenant Nelson made his
boat perform the remarkable feat of
diving to a depth of twenty feet and
while going at full speed at that
depth reversing her course. The COM
plete turn occupied only one minute.
Subsequently the engines were stopped
and the vessel was submerged to a
depth of twenty feet There she was
kept motiOnless. demonstration of
her ability to remain in that position
for hours while waiting an opportunity
to launch one Of her torpedoes at a
vessel of a blOckading squadron which
might be passing or repaSsing a given
point.
During the operation Of the Plunger
the tender Apache remained within
short distance prepared to render any
assistance that might be necessary.
She was not needed however, and the
Plunger returned to her moorings near
the j. West Roosevelt pier without an
untoward incident The president
shook hands with all the crew as he
left the vessel to return to Sycamore
Hill ----