The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1914-10-29
FACTS ABOUT THE
WONDERFUL SUBMARINE.

orally described us cigar shaped
It Is built of the very best quad
lily OF mild steel, and the work
manShip is of the highest order,
for the reason that avery seam
land rivct must be- perfectly
tight, IN view of the service
(which the boat is called upon to
perform. Not only do vessels of
this type undergo all the stress
es OF sea and weather which
other vessels are subjected to,
but IN addition they are required
to navigate at considerable depths
below the surface uf the water.
AT these depths the pressure of
the water is great. 81 that the
hull must be made sufficiently
strong Ia withstand IL.
For Submerged work large
storage batteries are povided,
which furnish energy sufficient
TO drive the boat from ten 10
eleven knots for a period of over
an hour The same electrical en-
ergy will drive her at a lower
speed for a much longer time.
There are two distinct condi-
tons in which the boat may be-
used for In the first. common
" known as the surface condi-
ton, the boat is prepared Cor
cruising A considerable portion
of her hull is above the water,
a removable navigating bridge Is
in place, and she is driven by
large powerful Internal com
bustion engines. Under these
conditions she is managed in a.
bout the same way as any vessel
built 10 run upon the surface. As
for ea-going qualities, the sub
marines of our own service have
been found to be excellent. In
ordinary weather they are full
ly as comfortable as any other
surface craft of the same dimen.
Sions, and even in the heaviest
weather they are entirely sea
worthy.
The second distinct condition
EXISTS when the boat is submerg-
ed. To pass from the surface
to the submerged condition. Ger.
tain valves in the interior of the
boat are opened. This allows
the water from the sea 10 run
into the great tanks bnilt with
in the boat, and thus virtually
sink her These tanks are close
liz gagged, so that just the re-
qulr,d amount of water is taken
in. Under normal conditions,
when the boat is at rest with
the ballast tanks filled. she will
have a few hundred pounds re-
serve bouyancy, which is repre-
sented by the top of her coming
tower protruding above the wat
er. If desired, this bouyancy
may be entirely destroyed by adj
hitting a small additional amount
Of water, equal in volume 10 the |
volume Of that part of the con
ming tower above water. While |
in the submerged condition. all |
communication with the outside
atmosphere is necessarily cut
off The crew then breathes the
AIR contained in the body of the
boat. The amount of air orig.
inaly contained within the hull |
is sufficient 10 support life with
comfort for at least twenty-four
hours But in addition to the
mir thus contained. the boat car
l'i,s large supply of compress
ad air in steel TASKS, which f
used for breathing purposes,
would be sufficient for mum.
If days.
After having brought the boat
10 the submerged condition in
Ihe manner above described. pow
arfu electric motors are started
by throwing in a switch These
motors derive their energy from
storage batteries contained in
he boat, and drive the propell-
RS The same storage batteries
furnish current for numerous
auxiliary motors aud for pumping
steering, handling, torpedoes,
'tc.
The motion of the boat when
Inder way is controlled by two
.cts of ruddeis: one Of these sets
Known as the vertical ruddcrs.
directs the boats course TO port
n starboard just as does the
1idder of an ordinary ship. In
.ldittou there arc Dt.nVided hor-