The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-04-03
COLONEL LAMPTON'S'
EARLY SUBMARINE TRIP.

Speaking of submarines, I have not
heard on one in New York harbor ex-
cept once, and that was in the late
summer of 1906, a time when SUBJ
marines had not made the record for
themselves that they have acquired
by the aquatic operations for 1914.
| happen to know about the visit
of this craft because | was n of
three passengers who came up on her
from Atlantic Highlands, passing
through the entire length of the
harbor from that point and going out
by way of He'll Gate. She was a Lake
submarine built at Newport News and
brought up from there on her own
power with the intention of trying her
through He'll Gate, thence to 7he Lake
yards al Bridgeport.
She had come by sea with a crew
of three, and the three passengers she
took on at the Highlands were ]. c.
Lake, father of Simon, her inventor;
Major A. G. Johnson, of Washington,
and myself, and / am free to confess
when | looked at the gray tub n
chored off shore | was ready to start
back to New York on foot. However,
I didn't and when the boat came for
US to go aboard | went as jauntily as
though | had been nurtured from in
fancy on a water diet.
When we got near enough we could
see there was something more to her
than the visible tub, which | discov-
cred was the coming tower, and she
looked like a great gray whale with
the latest improvements, the whale
part being just under the water. We
waded across the deck to her tower,
thence to its top, and there we We're
dry enough, but MIGHTY close to the
water, the tower being about six feet
by three, rising four feet above the
deck and with a tarpaulin ruffle ar
ound it's top to shunt the spray.
The craft was e~ighty-fve feet long,
twelve feet beam and fourteen feet
deep. She had arrangements for all
sorts of explosives and other destruc-
tive articles, but fortunately for my
peace of mind none of these vas in
place.
There was some delay in getting off,
and during the interim Major Johnson
and | went down the well to explore
the insides of the machine. We found
that she had gasoline for power OF
the surface and electricity when she
dived, and everything was working
like a trivet and had been ever since
she left Newport News. But the skip
per and Mr.. Lake were ervou about
He'll Gate, which was the real test for
the subaqueous craft.
We got away about 2 p. m. and
had by eye on the lifeboat. She was
good for seven miles an hour and she
made it all right, running on an even
keel, being below the waves, but every
4.-.o H. L0o+ aanon a1onn 1xra not
the wash in great form and lodged
behind our t%arpaulin ruffle to keep
the wet away. We excited large in
terest all the way up the harbor on
every craft that passed us-we didn't
pass any-and received all sorts of
cheers and facetious remarks. Every
body seemed to know what a submar-
inc was better than the English seem
to know in these later days. How
ever, none of our spectators were or
dreadnoughts and they didn't giva-
dam.
Everything went swimmingly until
we came to Buttermilk channel, and
here a huge railroad towboat from the
Jersey shore broke upon our view and
came thwart our course. We didn't
steer quick, but we held away to let
the big one pass, though we might
have dived and blown her out of the
water, and while watching her front
end we neglected the other, and the
next thing we were at the danger
point. The stern of a carloaded tow
swept over our bow, twisting our
flagstaff out of shape and showing us
under the water, but it was soon past
and we bobbed up presently none the
WorSa for the eXDerlenee.
UP East river | never saw so many
water craft of all conceivable kinds
and / suspected there was a parade
in our honor but / found afterward it
was merely my overweight magma
ton. The average landlubber may
think submarine navigation in New
York harbor is a joy ride, but one trip
will convince him to the contrary.
In the East river the big craft, fer
ries and such, were very considerable
and they slowed up when necessary
and gave us the right of way, also nu-
merous salutes. You see, a submar-
inc was something of a novelty. The
upper portion of the voyage was like
a Sunday school excursion, but Hell
Gate was ahead and there is nothing
Sunday schooly about that. But we
were there to go through it, and brac-
ing all our main tackle, splicing the
iibboom to the traffrail and doing a
few other similar nautical feats we
put on full power and went at those
four cross currents which have given
the name to the passage.
The major and held fast to the
lee scuppers, the skipper held the
wheel, the quartermaster was on the
quarterback with his pants rolled to
his knees in the wash. Mr.. Lake
swept the angry winds and waters
with his eagle eye and We went at it.
For a moment everything was still,
and then the major and burst into
u~proarious cheers, which were fol
lowed by some demonstrations on the
part of the quartermaster, who was
young and inexperienced.
But the big job had been accom-
-1s-1-1 IL L.. o@x11