The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-28
SUBMARINE TESTS ARE ID BE MADE Will Be the Most Elaborate Ever
 Made Here WILL BEGIN APRIL 30 The importance of the Submarine Boat Is Being More and More Ap-
 preciated in Navies of
 the World.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, April 7.-Arrangements- have been made by the navy de- partment for the most elaborate series of submarine experiments and tests ever held in American waters. The maneuvers will take place at Narragansett Bay, off Newport, beginning April 30, and proba- ply will continue for ten days or two weeks The purpose of these tests is not only to illustrate what submarine boats can do under exacting conditions, but to a large extent to determine the type of boat which hereafter shall be constructed for the American navy. The place of the submarine in the modern navy all ready has been fixed. The little terror has come to stay, for the greatest naval e.. .,srts of the world agree that no naval defense is complete without a sufficient hotala of submarines. Although the United States was among the first of the powers to develop, in it's present state of efficiency and practcability, the submarine, the navies of England, France and Russia are far ahead of ours in the number of submarines. These great naval powers have been quick to per ceive the possibilities of thes boats and have forged ahead in thes matter of their construction.
 Under the building programme as now mapped out, however, the United States within a few years will have a formid- able array of thes most destructive of all aea fighters and when they are final ly added to the American navy in suffi- cient numbers every port in the country will be immune from attack from every enemy no matter how strong may be her navy. President Roosevelt, whose firmly fixed views upon the upbuilding of the American navy are we'll known, is :. thorough believer in this kind of
 boat, and it was in response to his strong recommendations that Congress at it's recent sesison included In the naval ap-
 propriation bill an item of $3OO0,OO0 for the purchase of submarines, and pro- vided that those acquired shall prove by tes.s to be the equal of any which are now in the navy. Last summer the Pres ident made a submerged trip in the Plunger and expressed great delight over his experience.
 The board which the secretary of the navy has appointed to conduct these tests consists of Capt. Adolph Mark, President; Naval Constructor D. w. Tay- Tor, Commander Burns T. Walling, Lieut. Gem. William s. Smith. and Lieut.. John w. Timmons. membersand Ensign F. H. Sadler, recorder. The programme which the board has formulated for these eX- periments provides for tests as to speed, both on the surface and submerged, maneuvering, submerging, torpedo firing, mining and countermning as well as operations to determine strength, endur- ance and habitability.
 It Is noteworthy coincidence that while these tests are in operation there will be opened in Bordeaux, France, an international maritime exposition to com memorate the Tooth anniversary of Robert Fulton's application of steam to naviga- ton. The significance lies in the fact not generally known that Robert Fulton in- vented a submarine boat before he built the first steamboat. It has been only within recent years however, that the submarine has been brought to such a condition approaching perfection that 1t has become a necessity. The first steps in this direction were taken by Secretary Whitney the father of the modern Amer ican navy, but 1t was not until 1895 that American navy was contracted for by th9 navy department Her motive power, however. was steam and she proved im- practicable. Then the Holland was built on private account, and after demon strating her efficiency was purchased by the government Since then six others of the Adder type, an improvement upon the Holland, have been built and are now part of the navy. Four others, the Octopus, the Tarantula, Cuttlefish and Viper. have been contracted for and completed