Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-02-23

my's ship and sinking it with torpe-
do. So completely is the vessel filed
with machinery and equipment for
this purpose that only very limited
space can be utilized for quartering
and feeding the crew.
While the newer submersibles are
equipped with tubes for firing torpe-
does from the stern and even from
the side, the principal fighting equip
ment is at the bow. Here are located
either two or four torpedo tubes. I'm
like the guns of -battleship, these
tubes must be aimed at the mark by
aiming the entire vessel. Each tube
is closed by a trap door that opens
automatically when the torpedo is
fired and closes the instant the torpe-
do has started on its journey of de-
struction. Back of the torpedo tubes
is a compartment for the storage of
torpedoes and in this are also sleep
ing quarters for the officers of the
vessel In the deck above this COM
partment is hatch for taking in the
torpedoes. Next comes a compart-
ment containing one of the two cleo
tric storage batteries which furnish
power for propelling the vessel when
it is under water. Back of this, at
the center of the vessel, is the cen
tral operating compartment, from
which every movement of the vessel
is controlled. Next comes a compart-
ment containing the second set of
storage batteries, then the engine
room and workship, and finally the
compartment at the stern containing
the propelling and steering machin-
cry. The crew, which often numbers
from 20 to 80 men on a submersible,
are usually quartered in hammocks
in the compartments containing the
storage batteries.
Of all the equipment of submarine
vessels the most important is the per-
iscope, simple device that serves as
the eyes of the craft when it is run
ming submerged. On the latest sub
mersibles two of these instruments
are used, one being fixed to give
view straight ahead and the other be-
ing so mounted that it can be turned
to face in any direction. Although
serving such a vital part in the opera
tion of submarine the periscope is
exceedingly simple in construction.
The light enters the hood of the per-
scope horizontally. 1t then passes
through prismatic lens that defects
It downward at right angles into the
vertical shaft of the periscope. At
he bottom of the shaft is a second
ems that again turns the rays of light
% a horizontal direction. This is the
form of the periscope. Usu-
lilly there are additional lenses for
nagnifying the view After passing
through the bottom lens the image is
either thrown on a screen or is view
I'd directly through a telescope by the
,flicer in command. The one disad-
1antage in the periscope is that it
gives only limited view in the one
direction in which it happens to be
'acing. Attempts have been made to
levelop a panorama periscope that
lses a "ish-eye" lens and gives a
yiew of the entire horizon. but this
levice has not yet been developed suf-
iciently to come into general use.
When the submarine is submerged,
'nly the tops of the periscope are
'isible above the surface. These are
Iifficult to see and still more difficult
o hit, and this accounts for the ap-
,arent ease with which a submarine
an steal up within range of battle
hip and fire its torpedo without being
Just what the submarine strength
f the warning nations was at the be-
inning of the war is not definitely
:nown, but according to the best au-
hority available, England and France
ach had rs submarines and submer-
ibles, Russia 81, Germany "a, and !
AUSTRIA g.. This gave the allies to-
al of 1913, and Germany and Austria
total of 80. By this time, however, s
hese figures have undoubtedly under
one a great change, as all the bellig-
rents have been and are still busily I
t work building more and larger sub