The Washington herald., 1907-05-09
RECORD FOR OCTOPUS
Submarine Makes Speed of
Ten Knots Under Water.
EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS
Little Vessel stands All Tests in Ade-
quRte Manner and Naval Board Is
Well Pleased with ResuIts-The
Lake Springs Leak in Her Torpedo
Tubes and Test Is Delayed.

Newport, r. l., May S.-The Octopus.
undergoing the government tests here,
again broke the worlds record to-day by
making a speed practically Of ten knots
under water The best time heretofore
made by any submarine boat unde- water
/ has been eight and one-haf knots, a
record held by some Of the submarines
Of the British navy The boats now IN
our navy are able to make only about
eight knots.
The Octopus made three high speed
runs over the measured course in Nara
gansett Bay this morning with Capt
Mark and other members Of the inspec-
ton board on the boat Under the regu-
lstions the periscOpe of the boat which
projects above the coming tower. was
allowed above the surface, but the boat
I Itself was submerged TO a depth of ten
/ feet below the surface.
The boat glided through the water with
apparent ease and grace ana covered the
/ first mile at the rate Of 1G15 knots an
hour This was her maximum speed.
while her average through the high-speed
runs vas ten knots plus, which was only
q fraction less than she made last week
while running in a senli-submeTged cOndi-
L LlNl- ilG IEtifAu A llELA El1t iilltEt EALErA-
/ ed all expectations and claims which have
been made for ner, and Is above the con
tract requirements by nearly knot and
a half.
ManeuveFs Are Successful.
After the high-speed runs, three runs
were made at reduced speed, for the pur-
pose OF standardizing her propeIlers. Sub
lsequently, she was put through d course
Of maneuvers which proved highly sue
cessful, She made three rapid dives at
an angle of about eight degrees, and came
up from a depth of thirty feet in a frac-
tion under forty seconds.
When the Octopus was making her high
speed runs. the only movement Of the
water above her was a slight ripple, pro
duced by her periscope and flagstaff.
which indicated that in time of active Op-
erations she could manipulate in a calm
sea without giving the enemy the slight
est indication Of her whereabouts.
A feature Of the tests to-day was the
use for the first time in any government
| tests of the submarine bell, with which
the Octopus is equipped. The bell is sta
toned in the stern of the boat, and the
device is fitted out with a receiving ap-
| paratUs Another bell and receiving in
l.
/ Starting. and communication with the
| Starring was maintained throughout the
entire time when the submarine was un-
der water.
Messages sent TO Surface.
A set of fixed signals and the Morse
code was used 10 transmit messages to
and from the boat. The Octopus is the
| first submarine to be fitted with this
apparatus, and the experiments which
the naval board made with her to-day
proved highly successful.
/ The Lake was to have begun her sub
merged trials to-day, but sprung a leak
/ in her torpedo tubes. It was decided
/ TO postpone her trials until the damage
can be repaired.
| The speed Of the Octopus to-day sub
| merged ana using only her batteries ex-
| ceeded by about two and a half knots
/ the surface speed of the Lake using
| both batteries and engines.