The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-22
ROOSEVELT MAY TAKE
 DYE IN SUBMARINE
PLUEGER TO START TO-DAY FOR OYSTER BAY TO BE IN-
 SPECIFIED.

Lieutenant Nelson Will Not Offer Any
 Objection if President Desires to
 Make u Trip to the Bottom of the
 SOund-COnsiders Vessel Perfectly
 Safe-Crew Anxious to Show the Ma
 tiOn's Chief What They Can Do
 New York. Aug 2L-There is little chance that the submarine boat Plung- CT will be ready to start on her trip to visit President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay before to-onlrrow morning. At 2:SO o'clock this afternoon her com mander,, Lieutenant Charles P. Nelson. said: s-...
 Tt doesn't look as though we could get her in shape. to-day. I am not go- ing to take her out until she is in per- feet orde1g The best can hope for now is that we'll be able to start at 8 o'clock in fae morning"
 The crew of the Plunger. seven strong, is as anxious as Lieutenant Nelson to get away from the Brooklyn navy yard, and it's members are look ing forward irnpatiently to the unus- uai experience of showing off before the. president of the United States. Be- sides the commander, the operators of the cigar-shaped craft are two ma chinists, two electricians, and three gunner's mates. Eight men-that is the maximum number assigned to the sub marine-are about all she will carry, and they are packed in with the ma ctinery like sardines in a box.
 Hardly room enough to think in" was the reply one of the machinists made when. he was asked whether it was a comfortable place inside. #
 President Roosevelt may decide to take dip in the Plunger. If he wants to try it the lieutenant will make no objection, because he considers the Plunger as safe under water as any where else. But whether the president goes down into the sea or not, he will watch the manoeuyres of the boat closely, and that is what the men are rejoicing over. ..+l
 "No president ever before took so much care to learn about the navy and what itneeds. said the machinist.
 MT. Roosevelt. as we understand it, wishes to decide for himself as to the real value of the submarine. Some people, you know, say it's the greatest implement of war; others argue that it is no good. Now the president intends to get at the bottom of the matter, so that he'll know whether any more mon- ey ought to be spent on this class of vessels" # s.s@ 's @ | The sailor-or engineer, as he is more properly .called-saids that, from the crews point of view, the submarine was the most dangerous and the most dis agreeable of vessels. .v. .s-#
 Its no fun to be assigned to one,'' he eXplained. Though we don't live abroad, and rarely stay under water more than q few hours, the dive, while it lasts, is a wearing experience. And 1t is as bad the second or the tenth time as the first. Any of us would be glad to transfer back to a warship or cruiser. We get only $5 month extra for this service. and we'd give that up in minute for a chance to dodge it." The Plunger,, which has been in the hands of workmen for a month, is ready except for the feed coil of her electric motor. Everything else about her machinery is in perfect condition. The coil was to have been finally test ed yesterday, but the two navy yard electricians assigned to the job failed to put in an appearance, and again to-day they did not show up. They are ex- pected this afternoon.