Evening star., 1915-02-21
Uncle Sam's Tiny Warriors of the Deep

the fact that the submarine is blind.
save for the periscope SO she is
hut then a man is blind save for his
eyes, The periscope is the eye of the
submarine and she can see with IL quite
as well as man can with his eyes.
The marvellous accuracy OF the gunners
of the American hattleship fleet has
been sung. but the fact that the crew
of Il submarine practically any sub
marine) can launch torpedo with alb
solute certainty against n ship several
miles distant has been practically over
looked. 1t must also he remembered
that it takes a mighty lucky single shot
from a big gun to sink big fighting
ship. but the ship has not been built
that can withstand the blow OF a single
torpedo planted firmly and exploding
instantly 1t is the pebble from the
sling of David. laying low the Goliath
of the deep: it is the power of a dozen
men. manning tiny. invisible enemy.
sinking a huge craft valued at millions
of dollars and carrying crew of a
thousand men.
owing to the fact that not only the
United states hut every other nation
has kept its submarine construction
secret the average citizen has but lit
tie idea of the manner In which these
vessels work. As a matter of fact.
when submerged the submarine is
strikingly like an aeroplane in the air
In order to dive an amount of water
equal to that portion of the vessel
which remains above water under or
binary conditions is admitted to tanks
in the interior. Finlike rudders are
then brought into play, steering the
vessel bow foremost below the sur
face.
''As long as the vessel cruises on the
surface of the water we employ heavy
oil engines to propel her. The moment
she dives beneath the waves the power
of propulsion Is changed to electricity.
supplied by large storage batteries.
The distance from the surface is main
tanned ar riding to the Judgment OF
the oiiic- in command by means OF
horizontal planes exactly similar In
action 10 the steering and balancing
planes OF the aeroplane. When we wish
to rise to the surface of the water the
water in the forward tanks is pumped
out and the vessel is driven upward
by reversing the action of the hortzon-
tai rudders.
"Owin,, to the fact that the subma-
rine encounters tremendous pressure
when running beneath the surface. the
vessel must be constructed of the finest
of steel and every rivet and seam must
be perfectly tight and of the best work.
manship. There is no chance for skimp-
ingon the part of the contractor be-
causee, in addition to personal super
vision of the construction of the
vessel in the yards, rigid trial trips are
bound to bring out any defect of this
kind before the vessel is actually ac-
cepted as part of the navy.
The fact that the United States is
awakening to the Importance of the
submarine is evidenced by the appro-
priation recently set aside by Congress
for the construction of large sea-
going vessel of this type which will
have a cruising radius of 5000 miles.
This will mean that she will be more
independent of her tender or mother
ship than the battleship is of its base
of supplies. 1t will mean that the
commander of fiotilla of ships of this
nature will be able to wage an indie
pendent warfare against the enemy.
even though his base be captured, his
fortresses shelled and his cities burned.
SO long as his torpedoes hold out he
will be able to give a good account OF
himself, and with the perfection of the
new torpedo upon which naval authorl-
ties are now at work the United States
will have an undersea arm second to
none in the world