Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-24
SUBMARINE SIGNALLING.
Experiments Being Made by the British
Admiralty.

The wreck of the British first-cIass battle
ship Mantagu. which went ashore OH
Lun.y Island during maneuvers In a fog
last spring, brought home foEcibly to the
British admiralty the necessity of finding
an accurate and reliable fog signal. The
fact that few moments before the ship
struck ono OF the officers on the Mon
tagu heard a siren. which might have been
a warming from Lundy Island, but which
ne thought was from another steamer ap-
preaching, was an illustration of the abso-
Lutte unreliability of fog signals in air.
The loss of the great battleship was Sc
verely felt in England, not only on account
OF the monetary loss, but on account of
the loss of prestige; 1t was hardly believ-
able that f1rst-class battleship could be
lost in calm weather under such circum-
stances. and the whole nation was aroused.
While endeavoring to get her off, another
battleship touched the bottom and had to
be put into dock for repairs The Montaeu
cost originally $4,000, 600, and it is estimat-
ed that they spent. another million in en-
deavoring to float her. Two or three off,
GERS were dismissed from the service as the
result of the cOurt-marttal.
1t was at this juncture that It was de-
AIRED that the loss of the Montagu was
unnecessary and entirely avoidable, pro-
v'"ing the ship had been equipped with
submarine signal apparatus, and the light
house boards were taking as much pains
to ring the bells In the water as they were
then taking to ring them in the air.
The English press took the matter up.
and the British admiralty, which had for
some time been Investigating the supma-
r1ne signal system, took advantage of the
public sentiment thus created and ar
ranged for an elaborate series Of tests of
submarine signals as applied to naval
vessels.
They set apart the armored cruiser An
trim, one Of the best ships of the channel
fleet, and small gunboat and placed the
tests in the charge of Capt. PackcIliam,
who was on Togos battleship when the
Russian fleet was destroyed.
The officers at Portsmouth representing
the departments of submarines, signaling,
navigation. etc, have all taken keen in
terest In the tests and have given every
assistance In their power to the engineers
who have been installing the apparatus.
The object of the British admiralty Is to
test the submarine signal system in all its
branches. to ascertain how far the system
to navigation or for signaling or for use in
submarine boats.
Each department is particularly interest
ed In its own trials, and 1t is the intention
OF the admiralty to prosecute the investi
cation until the officers get thoroughly
until the experts in submarine work and
torpedo boat work have discovered how
extensively the submarine signaling may
be used in their department.
The first of these tests resulted In a SUBJ
merged submarine getting signals at a dis
lance of six knots without the receiving
apparatus, the sound passing into the boat
itself, the submarine not then having been
equipped with the receiving apparatus.
The other tests will follow during October
and November, and arrangements have
been made that representatives of other
nations shall have the results of the British
tests. The tests are being made at the
expense of the admiralty