The Washington herald., 1912-06-30
SHIPS THAT FAILED
RUST IN NAVY YARDS
Freak Vessels, Expected to RevOlutiOnize Warfare,
Have Unhappy Fate-SOme Cases Recalled.
The Katahdin and VeSuviuS.

like holes in the ground. In doing this
she kept the enemy away from the
| shore and allowed several landing and
scouting parties 70 make bloodless ex-
petitions.
The entire changing Of the game OF
war as predicted with the advent OF the
Vesuvius did not occur. and the vessel
Is now placed in the obsolete class along
with the Katahdin-
Turks Bought sumarInes.
| The Turkish government purchased
two submarines from Thorston Norden-
! felt, which never saw active service.
These subaqueous vessels were shipped
J to ConstantinopIe in sections: but only
one was assembled and tested. II met
| with the approval Of the Sultan, but
never threw a torpedo or repelled an at
| tack. In fact the Nordenfelt II was
/, not a true submarine, as she was never
wholly submerged.
l. One OF the earlier freaks designed and
operated by Americans was the Confed-
crate submarine David. This vessel. de-
signed for the destruction OF Federal
| ships. was built during the civil war by
McCIfntock & Howgate at Mobile. Ala,
| and was carried overland to Charleston.
s. c.
! The David was about sixty feet long
and was propelled by crudely applied
man power. She carried a crew OF nine
men. eight OF whom provided the propul-
sion OF means OF a large eight-elbowed
crank shaft. One man acted as pilot.
After sinking five times during tests and
drowning thrty-fve men she succeeded
in blowing up the Federal Corvette Hous-
/ atomic outside the Charleston Harbor
bar on the night OF February II. 1854
! Attack Well Described.
/
! Naval History Of the Civil War by
Admiral David Porter, L. S. n. and
reads:
AT about S:45 p. m. the oficer Of
| the deck on board the unfortunate
vessel discovered something about 100
yards away. moving along the water.
! II came directly toward the ship and
| within two minutes OF the time It
was first sighted was alongside. The
! cable was shipped, the engines back
! ed and all hands called to quarters
! But II was too late-the torpedo struck :
| the Housatonic Just forward OF the
| line with the magazine. The man
who steered her knew where the vul-
! nerable spots Of the steamer were, and
he did his work well. When the ex-
plosion took place the ship trembled
/ all over as II by the shock Of an earth
1 quake. and seemed TO he lifted out OF
\ the water. and then sunk stern fore
most. heeling TO port as she went
/ down. Her captain, Pickering. was
stunned and somewhat bruised by the
! conclusion, and the order Of the day
! was Sauve qui peu.
Crew Was Rescued.
A boat was dispatched TO the Can
andaigua. not far on. and that vessel
at once responded to the request for
help. and succeeded in rescuIng the
greater part of the crew. Strange to
say, the David was not seen after the
| explosion, and was supposed to have
! slipped away in the confusion. but
when the HousatOnic was inspected by
| divers, the torpedo boat was found
sticking in the hole she had made. and
| all her crew were dead IN her. It was
a reckless adventure these men had
! engaged in in, and one in which they !
/ could hardly have hoped to succeed.
| They had tried II once before Inside
| the harbor and some Of the crew had
! been blown overheard. How could
| they hope to succeed on the outside,
where the sea might be rough. when
! the speed Of the David was not over
| FIVE knots and when they might be
driven out 10 sea, Reckless as II
might be- Il was the most sublime pa
| triotism. and showed the length to
which men could be urged on behalf
| OF a cause for which they were willing
to give up their lives and all they held
| most dear"
Many SuEEestIons Received.
The navy Is constantly receiving
suggestions for the betterment OF its
hghting machines. Wild ideas, i'm
practicable even to the Iayman. en-
bracing the entire field OF naval man
ufaCture are enthusiastically sent to
United states officers. and it is seldom
that a suggestion affords possible grist
to the mills Of the designers. Every
phase Of marine invention. from a she'll
carrying materials which upon, contact
with water would explode and f1lumi-
nate the sea for a radius OF many
miles. to improved ditty boxes. suffers
the attempts OF improving inventors.
The war engine which will revolu-
tlnizs warfare IS yet to be designed