The Detroit times., 1911-08-02
MRS. GOE[ETTE[Ls
or DIP TO BOTTOM.
OF THE SEA
She Sees Entire Horizon While Sub
marine Is Under water-vessel
careens Like Giant Fish as It Z
!. Plunges Down.
Sails Ten Miles While Unique Craft
Is 90 Feet Below the
Surface.

cottage colony has not yet finished
talking OF the ieat OF beautiful, young
Mrs. Robert Goelet, daughter-in-law oil
Ogden Goelet and u leader In the
younger set, who on last Wednesday
plunged to the bottom OF Narragansett
Bay In the United States submarine
torpedo boat, Octopus, says dispatch
to the New York World. Mrs. Goelet
sailed for more than ten miles under
ten fathoms OF water In the hot, bril
liantly lighted cabin OF the little, fish
like warship, never showing the least
alarm when the Octopus was diving OF
stahbing her way back to the surface
at startling angles. She calmly sip
ped tea as she noted the big. long
black hand on the white face Of the
Indicator registering the fact that the
Octopus had gone down thirty, then
forty, then ffty and finally sixty feet
under the sea.
IL Mrs. Goelet and Secretary Meyer
a were met by Commander George
washington williams, head OF the tor
pedo station and Ensign Alfred III.
Miles, who is commanding oficer OF
the Octopus. Gold lace and white duck
are not for submarines, therefore the
young officer was dressed In the blue
dungarees which are his working
\ clothes.
Getting on Board.
There came now matter OF some
difficulty Of negotiation for one clad
In skirts. That was the descent
through the main hatchway In the
rear to the cabin. No board gangway,
rope sided and with rubber bound
| .rteps, Is used. A brass ladder with
smooth and slender rungs makes the
stairway One descends clinging to
the rungs for support and balance.
But Mrs Goelet, as the small boys say,
"shinnied" down the ladder with agil
ity.
According to friends OF Secretary
Meyer he had some misgiyings just
then as to whether his fair guest wish
III ed to go further with the journey.
"Sure you are not going to be ner-
yous and perhaps made Ill by the stuff
finess Of the room after We get under
way? They tell me that 1t Is bound
to be very stulfy and the perfume OF
gasoline pervades everything
why" replied Mrs. Goelet, Il
didn't think, you know, that II would
(be airy, or even dry; and you really
can't scare me out Of 1t. I am going
to make the trip
80 Secretary Meyer nodded to En-
sign Miles, and the young officer dis
appeared up a second slender ladder
INTO the coming tower, took glance
through the lookout at his bearings,
began sending down signals, and the
$50 horsepower gasoline engines gave
big fereeful response. The Octopus
was on her way.
The Coming Tower.
With keenest interest she received
directions In the only manner that one
may look out ON daylight and the sur
face OF the water while In the
q submarine. Tho instrument Is known
as the periscope. There Is a thick,
brass barrelled instrument through
the telescope eye Of which one peers,
and thence through an arrangement OF
small mirrors at many angles ones
glance Is carried up a shaft eighteen
feet long and through a square glass
that looks out upon the world. Below
|the thick brass telescope is a wheel.
BY turning II the telescope ~ swivelled
and the glass above and all the In
n tervening mirrors move with II, so that
with a complete turn OF the wheel one
may have a view OF the entire hori-
zon.
Goina to the 5ottom.
The Octopus went out past Castle
NIL, light and then shunted of the
beaten track OF the steamboats, and
. 4 other craft OF the bay into the quiet,
secluded waters of Coddington's Cove.
. lit was here that Ensign Miles decid-
ed to send the Octopus under. water.
He called briefly TO each OF the men
ut their posts, receiving from each
the report of the security OF the fast
enings and the responsiveness of the
mechanism. Then he gave quick or
ders that called out a great gasp OF
flushing air. The tank that fits at the
bottom of the submarine was taking
pn the weight of water necessary to
bend II below the surface Of the sea.
The little boat throbbed and swayed
. u the thrush and for a while her nose
lifted upward at an angle OF something
nore than nine degrees. The camp
hairs showed tendency to slide to-
Vard the stern.
Gradually. however, the intake was
|venly spread within the tank below
md soon the Octopus was on an even
eel. Directly facing Mrs. Goelet we're
ne two big dials, made to record the
immersion Of the ship to a distance
100 feet. The boat sank gently
lille the hands of the dial swept
|owly upward. At fifteen feet Mrs.
oelet again stood at the periscope.
eering through II she could see the
ives rising nearer and nearer to the
'<tle square glass on the eighteen foot
aet Suddenly she cried:
THE glass Is under, tool"
And then she resumed her chair,
lowing that the ship was now far
der with fathoms OF water above as
III az below her. AZ thirty feet
>pth the Octopus was sent along for
% miles at good speed Once she
mt down to forty feet to escape the
ster nearer the surface that was 20
ngh that the little party were tossed
but In the room.
DIdnt see q Whale.
The Octopus then was sent to the
ttom. As she rested there, gently
aging like a tired fish. Mrs. Goelet
mbed into the coming tower and
ming her neck peered through the
lie panes OF. thick glass and stared
at the emerald limitless water.
dial below registered SIXTY feet.
n didn't see any whales, she said.
ching. as she came down. Not