The Elbert County tribune., 1908-10-08

The recent announcement that the
navy department contemplates sending
the submarines now at Buzzards Bay,
Mass, to the far east on their own
bottoms attracted a great deal of at
tention. That such a trip is practical
is not for a moment doubted indeed,
1t is pointed out that for very con-
siderable portion of such a trip the
vessels could operate under their own
power, rescrting to the towline only
in very bad weather or in the event of
all engine becoming disabled.
With a we'll equipped parent ship
as the Castine will be when the work
now being done at Portsmouth is COM
pleted. snch a trip would offer few
more dangers than the trip from New
York to Norfolk last winter, when for
days officers and men went without
rest and with no food save cold meat
and bread and few frankfurter sau-
saEes and coffee 1t was possible to
cook on the tiny electric stove each
boat is equipped with.
That trip ended with all hands
nearly exhausted but ready to repeat
the taak after "a hours rest.
II never really appreciated Josie
Sadler's desire for "a decent Sleep"
ssid one of the officers who made the
trip. until 1t was over"
On that trip what little sleep the
Ylen had was in cramped quarters,
where the bare deck, and not much of
that. was all that was available, and
the cold made sleeping difficult, the
lack of heating apparatus of any sort
IN the boats making the temperature
about tnat of the water One feature
Of that trip was heavy snowstorm.
and 1t is not thought probable much
more severe weather would be met on
she longer journey.
On the longer trip 1t would usually
at least, be possible for the men to
be fed from and sleep on tenders when
the boats were running under their
own power The tenders could also
care for those who may be made sick
by the gases from the gasoline engine
These fumes. or carbon monoxide, are
deadly in their effect, and in short
runs partially submerged when the
gasoline motor is used it is not uncom-
mon for men to be rendered uncon-
scious for periods of 20 to 30 minutes
When consciousness does return the
victim suffers an intense headache and
pains In the stomach.
Interest in submarines has not been
confined to those who work boats
persons outside the navy have been
privileged to inspect one of these deep
sea divers as the service regulations
forbid allowing visitors on them.
Work on these boats begins early
in the morning. Usually before sever
o'clock all the men have had theil
breakfasts on the tender and gone
over the side to the smaller boats to
relieve the one man of the 12 or Il
assigned to each who has remained or
watch on board all night. With then
goes after commanding officer. The
anchor, of mushroom design, which
swings from chain run through the
center of the boat, is hoisted and deeJ
water is headed for.
The boat is row almost awash, tha
is to say, only few feet Of her sides
| the tiny deck and coming tower ars
out of water. Below the men are a
their stations. caring for the engine.
or looking over valves. To the laymar
it seems as though there were almos
as many valves as rivets. They ar,
everywhere. Where there are no
valves there is machinery or piping
and an occasional tool box.
Forward, under the deck. are tn,
huge gasoline tanks. holding 5000 gal
Ions of this highly explosive fuel
Amidships and under foot are the grea
storage batteries. Aft is the propellini
machinery, the electric motors TO
driving the screw while submerge,
and steering, the six-cylinder gasolin
motor Of 500-horse power, used in or
Grating when on the surface; the dy