Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-28
THROUGH A ToRPEDo'S TUBE
Ensign Writings Thrilling Escape
from Submarine Seventy Feet
Under the Sea.

Ensign Kenneth Whiting Of the United
States navy has just proved the feasibility
of escaping through the torpedo tube OF
a submarine by a very plucky perform
ance. It had already been tried success
fully on dogs in Newport harbor, but
their experience was not conclusive, Whit
ing was in command OF the submarine
| Porpoise in Manila bay when he made
his experiment. Incidentally, 1t may be
mentioned that while at Annapolis ne
was president of the Athletic association,
played on the football and hockey teams
and won the swimming championship
three years in succession.
Having sent the Porpoise to the bottom
Of Manila bay, seventy feet below the
surface, he got into one Of the tubes, had
the rear door or breach Of the tube
closed benin him, and firmly grasped
with both hands a steel attachment OF
the port cover at the outer end OF the
tube.
Such a torpedo tube is big enough to
hold three or four men and Is a dozen
feet In length. When 1t is used for war
purposes a fish-shaped torpedo is showed
into It and the door behind 1t Is hermet-
ically closed. Then, by a special mechsn-
ism, the port at the outer end IL thrown
open like a shutter and the torpedo Is
discharged from the tube by compressed
air.
OF course, when the port at the outer
end is thrown open the sea PUSHES In.
This Is a matter Of no Importance, so far
as the shooting Of the torpedo is con-
cerned. When the latter has been dis
charged the port is closed again by the
same mechanism. and the tube is auto
matically emptied Of the water 1t con-
tanned. Then, and not until then, the
door at the rear of the breech end may
be opened to introduce a fResh torpedo.
What Ensign whiting did was simply
to substitute himself for the torpedo. The
door being closed behind him. he lay
flat on the tube and waited. But first he
secured a firm grip on the port at the
outer end of the tube. For 1t was not
Intended to use, the compressed air to
shoot him out into the sea, but merely
to eject him by operating the mechanism
already described. AS 1t was, the expert
ment was perilous enough.
The expectation was that, when the
mechanism was operated, the port would
open and would carry Whiting with it
Just as a mar standing in the vestibule OF
a house and clinging TO the knob of the
front door would be dragged into the hal
inside by a force violently pulling the dooi
inward. The only difference was that ii
this case the movement was outward. But
of necessity, when the port was opened
the pressure of the water at such a deptf
was liable to drive the man back into thu
z tube, pocket him there and drown him
? He could hardly be rescued, because thu
t rear door could not be opened withou
r flooding the whole interior of the sub
= merged boat.
{ Here was the great risk, so great a risk
in fact, that Ensign Whiting was Willing
q to take the risk for the same Of solving
a problem affecting the safety Of the man!
, seamen and officers who in the future viii
be required in the line Of their duty to g
down In submarine boats.
The pressure of the water against tn
outer port (Which might be called a lid 1
j so great especially at such a depth, tina
Whiting could not possibly have made hi
= way out Of the tube by his own strength
=, But, clinging TO the port, when 1t wa
4 opened by the powerful mechanism unde
control OF the second officer. he was pulle
out, got clear Of the tube and rose swift
: to the surface. Being once clear of tn
tube, the rest was an easy matter, as he
a very fine winner
In view Of the success or this remark
able and daring experiment, it is to b
expected that on future occasions, whe
submarine boats are disabled and unabl
to rise TO the surface, those on board G
them will seek to escape through one c
the torpedo tubes. They would have to &
out in this way, Of course, one after ar
other; and II is obvious that the last ma
must be lost. because, though he Nigh
get into the tube, there would be nobod
10 operate the mechanism for him and Il
him out into the sea.
A simple suit Is being devised to assii
the sailor in escaping from the torped
tube without injury. 1t is torpedo-like
form and has a conical head and a III
belt II is buoyant and will carry the ma
quickly 10 the surface, while a pennar
on the cap will help to attact the attento
Of passing ships.s Chicago American.