Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-19
SUBMARINE SHIPS
Life Aboard These War Craft Is
a Sequence Of Discomtorts.
TORTURE FOR THE NOVICE.

Between Choking For Air and suffo-
eating From the Fumes Of Gasoline
tho Agony 10 Exerueiatin9-Added
! Terrors When Caught IN Storm.
Submarine boats have been develop
ed to the point where they can cover
on their own power radius of 800
miles In effective lighting trim. In
| storm and calm the submarines are
capable Of navigating the seas With
| credit to their inventors and construc-
tors. With feet of these vessels sta
toned In the vicinity Of any Of our
large coast cities 1t would be difficult
for battleships to get within effective
striking distance.
The first Impressions received on de-
sceuding into the bold Of submarine
are those of discomfort and 'suhoca'
ton. The accommoda lions for a crew
Of thirteen seem about right for half
dozen. One Is in too close proximity
| to whirring machinery. too. to enjoy
the sensation.
On all sides are arranged electrical
devices and machinery to operate the
craft and the torpedoes. A thin she'll
of steel separates the visitor from the
torpedoes. and the outside water II so
close that one can almost feel 1ts
! moisture.
When under way on the surface the
submarine buns and trembles. The
fumes Of gasoline are almost su6ocat-
Ing There is no escaping from them.
Some of the men contract what Is cali
ed gasoline heart" II under water
too long the fumes make one sick and
dizzy.
A novice cannot remain in Z sub
marine under water for any great
length of time without suffering ex-
cruciating torture. In time. however.
one gets used to 1t. and trip may be
one Ut enjoyment
But 1t is when the submarine dives
that the most unpleasant symptoms
come. There are ten compressed air
tanks supplied. and these furnish SUI
6cient air to keep the crew alive
good many hours.
But did you ever live on compressed
air? II not it will be new sensation.
especially If you are City feet below
the surface Of the water. There Is
t1ngling spnsat ton all over the body.
| pounding OF the eardrums and pos
| sibly a sense of nausea.
AS the air Is automatically regulat-
ed from the compressed air tanks one
gets his share of the oxygen. but some
times the supply may vary. 1t GER
tainIy does in different parts Of the
ship. One may be choking for lack OF
good air in one part and be exhilarat-
ed by a too abundant supply in anoth'
er.
Sometimes when the engines are
running to charge the batteries the
fumes OF the gasoline become so strong
that men are rendered unconscious.
They must be taken up on deck then to
get a Whit OF fresh air.
For this reason the batteries are only
charged when above the water. But
in time of war it might be necessary
to charge them while running below.
Then. indeed. the man aboard the SUBJ
marine might envy the aerial navt-
gator flying above the sea with his
abundance of fresh air to breathe.
Cooking under water is pretty un.
certain and disagreeable work. The
only appliance for this purpose is a
| small electric heater This Is just
about big enough to heat water to
make cup of coffee and nothing else
The crew have their food cooked
aboard the tender.
The submarine is built on the prin-
ciple of economizing space in every.
! thing There Is no room for anything
except the actual necessities. Every
inch of space is given over to ma
chinery. This is everywhere compact
and efficient. but multiplied so often
that one wonders what it is all for.
There is machinery for running the
/ boat. for guiding it under water. for
controlling it when it dives. for COM
pressing the air tanks. for operating
the torpedoes and even for regulating
the power of vision above and below
water
When caught in a storm In a sub
marine life is really not worth living.
1t consists of series of intense strug-
giles to prevent death BY being batter
ed against steel walls or to keep from
becoming involved in whirring wheels
and dynamOS IF you survive the or.
deal you conclude that it is not neces.
| sary to wait for war to find hades. 1t
Is with you all the time.-Harper's
Weekly.