Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-05
launching on Oceans Floor.
New York Post. j

What follows was written by Eu-
ropean naval officer, member OF
technical board that tested a suptna-
rine boat, 1875 to lao feet below the
surface of the sea- Jules Verne never
dreamed anything moro wildly daring
that this paragra phi, taken bodily from
dry official report lying III gov
arnment's secret archives. When such
things as this can be written In
technical and impartial record writer
of romances is driven to desperate
lengths to maintain his supremacy IN
the realms of fancy.
"An even keel submarine was taken
out into the Baltic, nine miles from
shore and there, in the presence OF
tug, preparations were made Tor the
sinking Of the craft-soundings were
taken in the presence of the senior
member of the imperial commission,
showing depth of 126 feet. 1t was
Friday, and thirteen persons We're
aboard. Promptly at noon the hatch
cover in the coming tower was closed.
-Four minutes later the sunshine came
in only thru the small headlights IN
the sighting hood on top OF the con-
ming tower--the rest of the craft was
already beneath the waves. A moment
Later nothing could be seen but the
luminous green haze of the surround
ing water, save when one looked into
the sighting instrument-the top of
which still rose above the water. A
few seconds later this, too, closed be-
meath the surface and one Instructive
ly shut his mouth, as if to keep out the
LIT, nv
it settled on an even keel--all was
silence, except for an occasional low
voice that called off the fathoms as
they gathered overhead. SO gradually
did the craft sink that it was six min
utes from the time it started before
it settled easily on the bottom, its con-
troll being so perfect. Even at that
depth the waters of the Baltic were so
clear that one could see thru the dead
lights in the coming tower for dis
lance of twenty feet; and fish swan
curiously to the ports and gazed wide
eyed at the glow of the electricity
lighted craft-more brightness than
those depths had ever known before.
Some tiny pinholes thru which the
water found it's way and spurted in
needlelike Jets, told the immensely of
the pressure that crowded upon the
craft from without. For half an hour
the craft lay there, and during that
time a hearty luncheon was served
the strangest feast that man had ever
eaten. At the end of thirty minutes
the operators took their stations to
start the craft upwards. There was a
muffled hiss Of highly compressed air
as it sang thru the piping like the me-
tallic ring of a gigantic soda fountain
in discharge and one could almost
seem to feel that the lungs of the air
TASKS set themselves with greater
force to drive the water out of the sub
merging tank to release the craft from
that region of primordial life. In two
minutes and one-HlaM the submer-
sible reached the surface-having been
held at various stages in the RISE to
show how perfect was its control on an
even keel at any desired depth. If
there was any anxiety felt it was not
with those abroad, but with those, in
stead. who watched the submersible
sink and waited thru long minutes that
were said to be filed with uncertainty
to the people aboard the tug. The pre-
liminary test Of this craft carried 1t to
the depth of nearly 140 feet