Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-08-27
SUBMARINE W IS
FEARED and UNKNOWN
Great War Will Settle Factor,
Says Expert-England's
Fleet Biggest.

New York-"Submarines will be the
unknown quantity in the next naval
conflict said a prominent naval tao
ties, notably those of the Spanish
American and the Russo-Japanese
wars, all the sea fighting was a straight
case of knock down and drag out
The battleships met n fought side
to side. The Spanish fleet made a run
ming fight, but the American battle
ly alongside, and it became a test Of
gunnery, men. n armor. The bat
ties of the Russo-Japanese war were
similar-the combatants got together
and fought it out, and the best men and
guns won. In none of these conflicts
did submarines play any part.
I'm the naval battles of the near
future-and now that the war cloud
bids fair to break over Europe, [ might
a of the present-the submarine is
either going to be the deadliest Weapon
or the greatest failure in the nan
of nations.
Vital Factor In Attacks.
Now. before the acid test-before
their actual performance in battle-the
submarines are a dreaded unknown
force. The psychological effect of the
knowledge that the enemy is likely to
use submarines will be a vital factor
IN all ttacks by water or in naval en-
6o6SiIlSlilS. III LIE captain or COM
modore, with the responsibility of s1O,-
Q 1000 worth of ~dreadnought and the
lives OF l.2OO men, on his shoulders,
down to the stokers, the fear that an
utilization may come at any
from the very depts of the ocean will
be a disquieting thought.
Unlike the dirigible or ]ropla the
submarine is invisible. It's periscope
or "eye" is so minute an object and is
above The water SO seldom that the
detection n forestalling Of a sub
marine attack is practically impossible.
In night attacks, such as may take
place when harbors are blockaded. a
fleet must keep moving perpetually.
and then 1t is not safe. The submarine
being invisible, can lie in the track
OF the ba~ttleships, n dea1 it's death
blow as they pass. The strongest
searchlights can not pick submarines
up. except when they are running on
the surface. and then it is no easy
thing to do.
1T was thought that the Ulivi rays
would put the submarines out of bust
ness, but now that they have turned
out to be a fake the battleships have
no defense. BY exploding the torpedoes
Ulivi rays would have made the sub
marine corps a suicide corps"
Also Deadly to Themselves.
That the submarines are as deadly
to themselves as to the enemy is the
view accepted by those who serve on
them. Leaving out all accidents, it
is safe to predict that the shock of the
submarines torpedo exploding against
the side OF a d~readnought will be suf-
ficient to cave in the sides OF the sub
marine n cause it's loss and the death
of its crew. A recent test in Ports
mouth, England, showed that 80 pounds
of guncotton exploded under water had
sufficient force to destroy a submarine
within a radius of 100 feet.
All defense against submarines is
based on a knowledge of their position.
either exact or superficial. The Orling-
Armstrong torpedo, as used by the
British navy. a be controlled and
exploded by wireless. One plan Is to
direct a number Of torpedoes of this
type to a spot where a submarine is
suspected and explode them when they
are near the spot. This Is the same
idea as the man who takes q ten-bors
gun and goes after deer with buckshot.
Ninety per cent. of his shot miss, but
the hers do the work.
1T is generally accepted that a sub
marine detected Is q submarine de-
stroyed. and several ingenious plans
have been evolved to do ava with 1t.
In Portsmouth, a short time ago, ex-
tensive experiments were made with
spar t~orpedoes." These are explosives
on the end of q long spar, and are car
ried over the bow ola 3O-knot destroy
er. The tests were made with a large
barrel. to which was fixed a periscope.
The barrel was sunk SO that Just the
eye would show as the waves washed
over 1t. A destroyer, the Starish, was
sent after 1t. and on the first trial blew
the barrel to atoms.
No Defense Against II.
.DrAs nsts have been tried with Sue