The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

ster OF Baltimore, then president OF the
Columbian Iron Works and afterward
Mayor OF the town.
THE Argonaut was a cigar shaped
structure Of steel, SO feet long and
feet OF beam. and was fitted with
80 horsepower gasolene engine,
dynamo, an air compressor, a
searchlight. water ballast pumps-the
apparatus necessary for successful sub
marine navigation. She had accommo-
dations inside OF her for a crew of Ave,
and during 1898 a cruise of more than
1000 miles was made In the Chesa-
peake Bay and on the Atlantic coast,
travelling both on the surface and sub
merged, and over all kinds of bottom.
That boat designed for commercial pur-
poses, was the pioneer of larger
military under water craft which we
built in Bridgeport some years later.
THAT vessel, the submarine torpedo
boat Proctor, was constructed upon an
open lot She was launched in No
vember OF 1902, and. after unsuccessful
negotiations with the United States
Navy Department. was shipped to Rus
STA for trial in 1904. Because of her
success there and immediate purchase
five more sister boats were ordered for
the Cars navy, and in 1905 an addi-
tionai order for four exec pt!ondly large
submarines was awarded us by the Rus
sian Admiralty. IL was this foreign
recognition which saved the Lake Tor
pedo Boat Company in crisis and put
us In way later to win recognition at
home. Yes, quite the ordinary expert
ence with native inventions.
"As far back as 1901 | offered our
Navy Department boat that could
carry guns in addition to torpedoes.
was generally laughed at, as was for
my bottom travelling wheels. AS you
know most OF the big British subma-
rin,s .Jw carry guns and other nations
are profit!ng by those examples. The
big bouts built by me in Russia for the
Cars navy were designed to have this
very feature.
THE diving compartment. which won
no favor with most of our naval men
scarcely more than ten years ago, is
now recognized as an admirable mil
itary and safety feature, because a sub.
marine 50 equipped can hunt for and
destroy telegraph cables and those lead
ing 10 fields OF submarine mines. The
same compartment constitutes place
OF refuge in case Of accident and a pos
sible passageway for escape to the sur
face when the craft is sunk.
I'm regard to this diving compartment
feature | may say that even the trained
mind has looked upon 1t askance in the
past; the way of its working seemed to
be too spectacular TO be altogether safe.
Let me tell you a little story about a
college professor that showed through
the Argonaut.
In that vessel the diving compart:
ment was only four feet long and
trihe wider At my invitation the pro-
lessor entered this steel box with some
show OF reluctance. We were under
water at the time. and / closed the door
after he was beside me. Il may have
been the green glow coming through the |
headlights looking out upon the sea
course il was not fear, but
just the same the professors face lost !
some Of its ruddiness and beads OF !
started out upon his fore !
head. Again. this was possibly due TO |
the heat.
Being a scientist, thought my visitor |
would like TO Sos the Whole operation, |
and | lost no time in turning on full |
the air valve, and into the little cham !
Der the compressed air rushed with |
sharp and deafening noise. The profess |
sor was plainly disturbed and turned /
longing eyes back toward the closed |
door.
Then turned TO the supply and said, /
By the way. professor, are you troubled 7
with heart disease? He answered. plac- :
Ing hts hand over his heart, Why yes, !
my hear: is a little affected oh. well, !
this little depth will not hurt YOU and |
at that | opened the valve again, saying. f,
II you feel any pain in your ears swal-
low as II you were drinking water He