Charlevoix county herald., 1908-10-24

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 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 trip the
vessels could operate under their own
power, resorting to the towline only
in very bad weather or in the event of
an engine becoming disabled
With a well equipped parent ship
as the Castine will be when the work
now being done at Portsmouth is com
pieted, such 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-
sages and coffee it 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 task after "a hours rest.
Il never really appreciated Josie
Sadler's desire for "a decent sleep :"
said one of the officers who made the
trip, until it was over"
On that trip what little sleep the
men had was in cramped quarters,
where the bare deck, and not much of
hnt oil hot ;1oI
the cold made sleeping difficult, the
lack OF heating apparatus Of any sort
In the boats making the temperature
about that of the water. One feature
of that trip was n heavy snowstorm.
and it is not thought probable much
more severe weather would be met on
the longer journey.
On the longer trip it 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 so 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
either for profit or pleasure. But few
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 seven
o'clock all the men have had their
breakfasts on the tender and gone
over the side to the smaller boats to
relieve the one man OF the IL or IA
assigned to each who has remained on
watch on board all night. With them
goes after commanding officer. The
anchor, of mushroom design. which
swings from a chain run through the
center of the boat, is hoisted and deep
water Is headed for.
The boat is now almost awash that
is to say, only few feet OF her sides,
the tiny deck and coming tower are
out of water. Below the men are at
their stations, caring for the engines
or looking over valves. To the layman
1t seems as though there were almost
as many valves as rivets. They are
everywhere. Where there are not
valves there is machinery or piping,
and an occasional tool box.
Forward. under the deck, are the
huge gasoline tanks, holding 5000 gal
Ions of this highly explosive fuel
Amidships and under foot are the great
storage batteries. Aft is the propelling
machinery, the electric motors for
driving the screw while submerged
and steering, the six-cylinder gasoline
motor OF 5O0-horse power, used in OPP
Grating when on the surface; the dy.