The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1905-08-31
PRESIDENT TAKES DIVE
Goes Down on a Submarine in the
Sound.
WAS SUBMERGED FOR FIFTY MINUTES.
President Roosevelt Spends Three Hours. All
Told, on Board the PiuDger and the Sub
marine Is Put Through All Her Maueuvers
for HIS Beneilt-The Boat Behaved Beauti-
fully, Though q Heavy Sea Was On.

fully, Though Heavy Sea Was On.
Oyster Bay, L. 1. (SpeciaD .-Presi
dent Roosevelt late in the afternoon
made descent in Long Island Sound
on board the submarine torpedo boat
Plunger He was aboard the vessel
about three hours. At one time the
little boat was submerged for so min
utes, and in that time was put through
all OF the submarine exercises 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 braving the dan
gers of submarine maneouvering the
President has endeared himself TO naval
officers and men the world over, and
made Lieut.. Charles II. 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 in naval
warfare, but to make a submarine de-
scent in it was reached after a confer
ence with Lieutenant Nelson. The
Plunger's commander explained TO Pres
ident Roosevelt the operations of the
boat and assured him that a trip on her
and a descent into the depths of Long
| Island Sound would be as devoid OF dan
ger as would be trip on New York
subway express train.
| The President long has desired to
watch the operations of a submarine
torpedo-boat at close range, and before
this would have made trip in one had
he not been deferred from taking the
risk by advice of his friends and official
associates. Convinced by the logic of
Lieutenant Nelson, he arranged to take
a trip on the Plunger and 10 see the
little vessel perform all her wonder
full maneuvers while he was on board.
The special trial of the boat, with the
| President on board, took place between
3 and o'clock in Long Island Sound,
just off the entrance to Oyster Bay.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the President
went aboard the Plunger in one of the
launches of the naval yacht Syph, which
he boarded at the J. West Roosevelt
pier.
As soon as the President had de-
scended into the boat the manholes were
closed, and, conveyed by the naval ten
|
sound. No maneuvers were attempted
until the vessel was we'll beyond the
entrance to the bay. A stiff northeast
breeze kicked up a heavy sea i'll the
sound but the Plunger behaved beauti-
fully. The water where the trial took
place is about 40 feet deep, too shallow.
in the opinion of Lieutenant Nelson and
his experts, to enable the vessel 10 do
her best 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 explain
ed minutely TO the President by Lieu
tenant Nelson, so that he afterward eX-
perienced no difficulty in understanding
the maneuvers which were performed.
While the President was thus resting
on the bottom of the sound in a sub
marine boat a storm 40 feet above him
was raging unnoticed. The rain de
scended in torrents and the n6rtheastel
whipped the water into big rollers bu
it was as quiet and peaceful where tn,
President sat as All easy parlOr woulC
be-
Explanations of the working OF tn,
Plunger being completed, Lieutenan
Nelson began to put her through he
PAGES. From the bottoNl, porpoiSe div
ing was tried-that IS, the boat woult
ascend TO the surface of the sound 70
several seconds, long enough TO enabl
her commander to sight any warshil
that might be within view, and thel
dive again Immediately. After this ma
neuver had been repeated a few times
the Plunger was sunk down diStanc
of 20 feet below the surface and he
engines stopped. Then the engines wer
revrsed and the boat assembled to tn
surface backward.
I.iutenant Nelson made his boat per
form the remarkable feat of diving TO
depth of 20 feet and while going at ful
speed at that depth, reversing her course
The complete turn occupied only on
. minute Subsequently the engines wer
stopped and the vessel was submerged
to a depth of 20 feet. There she wa
kept motionleSS as a demonstration o
her ability to remain in that position 70
hours while awaiting an opportunity T,
launch one OF her torpedoeS at a vesSe
of a blockading squadron which Nigh
be passing or repaSSing a given point