The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-23
WHEN DOWN GOES M'GINTY
OF 4 LANDSMAN IN
 4 SUBMARINE VESSEL.


 the Equipment - The Whispering
 Crew.
 An experience which few persons have a chance to sample is that of a plunge into the sea, personally conducted by a modern submarine, An Englishman who was treated to ride on AZ, one of the British boats of this type, con- tributes to the Strand the following ac- count of che experience.
 Portsmouth llarbor sparkled in the sunlight as we steamed in the Adm1- ral's launch toward the submarine awaiting us at the mouth of the harbor. For mere landsman there was initial difficulty in getting aboard the sub- marine.
 Built for working in the depths of ocean the structure of a fish is inevita- bly, adopted. For the unaccustomed foot the deck of AZ inconveniently re- sembled the back of a propoise. That would have mattered less had there been anything in the shape of bulWarks or rails to hang on by. A porpoise has neither, nor had AZ.
 The second Lieutenant, his legs scientifically astraddle, gripped my hand and I made my way to the centre of the rolling, boat, whence projected the top of what subsequently, reeog- nized as the coming tower. A per- pendicular steel ladder shoots down in- to the hold, quite snug apartment running the full length of the hull.
 Tn the centre, under the coming tower it was some seven or eight feet high. Following the lines of the por- boise, it narrowed fore and aft to a point where men moving about perforce went down on hands and knees.
 Brilliantly illuminated with electric light one could see that on either side every foot of the space was devoted to intricate machinery. Port and star board the bellied sides of the hold were occupied by what, to the solitary pas senger, were inscrutable screws and levers, each having its appointed func- tion, failure at any particular turn meaning the destruction of the ship and its crew.
 By and by when submerged, AZ was merrily moving along under pretence of being charged with a playful surprise for an enemy's ship and as, in obedi- ence to the word of command, swift hands reaching forth here and there toucheA a lever or turned a screw, one though of an organ and a musician working the stops.
 When I descended, the crew, nine i'll all, were at their appointed posts, ly- ing or sitting, according to the position in connection with the sloping deck overhead. The Second Liutenant was in charge below The First stood on a ladder in the coming tower.
 At a signal, the top of the turret closed down, shutting out the light of heaven. The valves in the ballast tanks were opened and filled with water. The boat commenced to sink,
 I began to be alert for the coming of novel sensations. When we began our descent surely one would feel the move ment and hear the swish of hungry water.
 There was something terribly intense in the tones and attitude of officers an crew. Only the Second Liuetenant told off to explain matters to the pasA senger, preserved an airy and a light ness of tone suitable more to snug smoking room than the hull of sub merged boat.
 Up in the coming tower, his eye to the periscopo, perched the Lieutenant in command. From time to time his voice, pitched in low, vibrating tones, sulemnly distinct broke the silence by rapping forth orders intently for by the nine sailors, barefooted strong handed, alert.
 "Close 3, 4 and B." said the voice from the tower.
 There was quick movement on the part of three buejackets. A wheel was turned or lever pulled. In turn came the almost whispered responses. Three closed, sir" -Four closed, sir" Five closed, sir
 Silence fell for some moments, then fresh orders with quick response al- ways in that sort of whisper in which people exchange remarks in a death chamber. 10 tell the truth, the narrow hold, regarded longitudinally, with its bulging mldships, it's tapering ends, and it's memories of Al twelve months ago buried full seven fathoms deep, re- sanh hlod a. Cargartuln cofIln
 When shall we sink2'' l whispered to the second lieutenant, I did not mean to whisper, but the habit was in- perative and contagious.
 we sank five minutes ago." he answered. we are ten feet under water ,out of sight from sea or land, except for few inches of the top of the periscope. We are making eight knots nicely. If, before going under, we had spotted the enemy's ship, we should be within firing range in twen- ty minutes, would let fly the torpedo primed in the bows wonder and be ready for the spare tube if the first missed the hull.
 Straining attention, one had-or IdnCleu ne Hdu-SOHle SeilsS OL IHoNe- ment, hearing some sound of bubbling water at the prow; but 1t required the exercise of much faith to realize that we had sunk beyond sight or ken of mankind, and were running races in the depths of the sea with surprised soles and confounded cod.
 Testimony to the unusual situation was not forthcoming through the