Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-30
SUBMARINES AM, Z.
READY FOR BIG TEST
The Lake and The Octopus To-
Stand Competitive TRIAL IN.
der Naval Board.
SPEED RUNS WILL Be A FEATURE
Underwater Vessels Will BE pu.
Through Their PAGES Awash ana
While submeroed-Rurssr sub.
surface Boat, First of Its Kind Ever
offered, VIII Be Put on TRIAL
(lly Aasoclated presa. !

NEWPORT, Il. L., April 29.-The
special board OF naval officers M.
pointed TO conduct comparative tests
Of the submarine boats Lake ana
Octopus will assemble MT the torpedu
station tomorrow md arrange IT'S
program. II Is not expected the boats
VIII he called upon for their speed
trial over the measured mile course
before Wednesday,.
The conditions re1>lre that Tie
boats be tested IN light or cruisng
condition. with all ballast tankA
empty; In an awnsh condition, with
he VESSELS showing not more than
ono half their coming towers above
water and ready Tor instant diving;
In submerged condition, with tho ton
OF coming tower moi less thnn ton
ieot below the surface ana tho top
OF the observation mast n, least tl,res
feet above the surfaca
In the light and awasli cop,itIopa
speed trials VIII be made with tho
engines only and With tho engines
connected with any auxiliary method
or propulsion provided, - In tho sub.
merged condition. sIeedi trials willSlsa
InudH With such method OF tlprppil,.
rs sstaside cd .f6r4 lii III fss4 sim
8VarIous Speed fsuna. s.
For encsi speed trial. unless sneclai
circumstances render It ineXpeiient,
three runs will be made over the
course M the maximum speed and
-FOUR or iive runs back AMI forth Mt
progressively reduced speeds.
These trials. 1t ls believed. will ro.
0tlirp fDur mr. va lnvp for tl,o iNo,t.,
! cannot be tried together under the
rule laid down by the Navy Depart.
ment.
Besides the two submarines.
strange new fighting craft. the Ilur.
ger sIbsurface torpedo hont, is also
TO he tested by the Navy nonrl. This
Is neither submarine nor surface
boat, but combination OF the two.
There are two distinct hnlls con.
nected by waist" with the engines,
steering gear torpcdGes ana torpelo
lubes beneath the surface, ont OF
reach OF shot and shell.
Unlike n submarine. This boat,
which is the invention of Clarence
L. Burger, a civil engineer. viii be
| able. II Is asserted, to go to sea alons.
TO hold steady vision OF the enemy,
and to maintain high speed. The
lconhlng tower is the only vulnerable
| part when the Burger boat is in ac.
ton. IL is covered with Krupp mr..
NOR four and onehnlf inches thick.
which furnishes protection against,
| small rapid fire guns, The tower is
too small TO be hi by big guns ex-
| cept through chance
The upper hull. which lies on inc
water, is. in effect float Ii is d.
vidcd into separate commandments
lilled with collulose. If n shell should
| 20 through one of the compartments
the colulose would expand ut once
| and fill the hole.
| Amidships, between the celluloses
compartments on the sides, are ar.
ranged comfortable quarters for the
officers and crew. When the danger
zone is approached the crew will 20
into the submerged hull The great
er part of the upper, or exposed, hui;
could be shot away without destroy.
ing the stability or efficiency OF The
submerged torpedo boat.
Only Coming Tower Exposed.
| In the heavily armored coming
tower are the steering wheel and the
signals to the engine ana torpedo
rooms. Through the tower rises tho
main air shaft, terminating to
stack. through which foul air and
stray gasoene vapors may escapc.
| Fresh air for ventilation and engine
! combustion is taken in through open.
ings in the tower when the boat il
in action The exhaust for the en-
gines is led mp into the air stack. An
ammunition hoist leads upward from
the nagaziZne to the after deck.
The offensive armament OF tho
Burger boat consists of bow tor
pedo tube, with three 21-inch tor
| pedocs. having range OF from $500
to 5000 yards and speed of thirty
five knots. The torpedoes are dis
charged from the tube thirteen feet
| below the water surface. Two rapi,f
fire guns on the upper deck serve, as
on regular torpedo boat, for keep
ing hostile torpedo boats and DIES.
troyers at a distance.
The government has agreed to let
quarter size model of the Burger
boat take the test this week. The
full sized boat will will be 14O feet
long, with beam of 10 feet 6 inches.
Ii Will cost S250.000.