The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1915-11-06
like A SUBMARINE
The Fur Seal In Many Ways Re-
sembIes an Undersea Boat.
ITS HABITS IN THE WATER

NthounH W Can SWIM pnly When
iauhmerasd and Mus, Rise 10 the
Surface Every Few Minutes, II 10 a
Marvel Of Speed.
We have come TO regard the Sonring
slbatross or the condor ~ The proin
type " the neroplane. When we look
FOR q natural model for the submarine
We tind II well nude IN the body OF the
fur seal and fully suggested by lts
Method OF progression IN the aca. for II
travels there only when wholly sub.
merged.
Unlike. however. the "untcrseebote.
The fur seai Is not fitted for swimming
On the surface; Il euiy rises there 10
nuryey. 90 breathe ana TO sleep. II
never attempts 10 swim with head
above water on any course. no matter
how short Il rises when undlsturbed
er not alarmed. locks about with head
aud pevk well stretched up above tho
SURFACE W tho sen iills ih lungs with
alr literally comprcssedl, turns Us
head down ana with rs powerful nn.
terror nippers drives itself below the
surface 10 the depth OF tiye or ten feet.
then ahead ON that level. Thus sub
Rsrged the body of the seal gIidns
Through the water ns swiftly as a swal
low IN the pir-it u y vanishing streak
~ our ayes
How ienR Il remalns thus submerged
Rhrn travelling no ono has my definite
kpowiefige. but the best consensus Of
opinion gives II q rise at intervals Of
every three or four mInutea 10 breaths
--fhat ". q pause OF less than two or
three seconds. with barely more than
IT, nose aud eyes above tho surface,
for exhalation and renewed Inhalation
when down gees the trim body 20
spsed ahead again.
when our submarines were first
bFpugh4 out trip OF more than 800
miles from base was the utmost limit
as their cruising. Today they have
been 30 perfected that they can cruise
safely mors than 1900 miles from that
bsse Therefore IN this connection Il
istnteEssting 10 know that tho fur seal
makes submarine Journey IN the
north Pacific ocean OF more than 5000
miles from its base on tho Pribllof H.
lands. In Bering sea, and then returns
An animal which can not only make
such sn extended journey. but can
steer its course over an uncharted
waste from point 10 point month by
month. with positive regularity aud In
perfect time. must be fne type ~
swimming machine. and Il H.
There n 10 be observed close re.
selnblance between the cigar shaped
Submarine boat and the body form OF
tho fuT seal Az we view them lateral
~. this resemblance 10 complete ,rhey
are both driven ahead by feafherlng
screws. and they are both kept on tho
Ievei OF their submerged course nt a
given distance below the surfnce By
gpdderr.
Then We observe that the periscope.
70 which the submaripe craft owes all
0f ~ efficiency. Is duplicated exactly
W. tae seals nose and ayes and which
ARP ~ that u ever lifts above the sur.
face when startled and IN nIght Of
passage.
Again We poie that the fur seal a.
q submarine has great advantage
over the human boat--it has eyes that
can lock ahead and around under wa.
FAR We do not know. but II
% reasonable to assume that the seals
eye can see as fur under water as the
eye OF a camera eau. which We have
ne evidence of IN good records.
Yben, 100, II also haa an acute sense
VI bearing nndeg sea. for we know that
The whlrring Of q propellef's screY |
Will drive all the seals away for mllos
around . steamer. we know that be-
causs some OF the early pelaglc seal.
Ing vessels were lifted with small aux.
liary screws. and these. whea put Into
qes. bad 20 DO remored.
WIfA reference 10 the powers OF dc |
structiDn. of course our fur seal boat
has no torpedo tubes. but II cnp and
ioss "shoot its mouth on" at nsh with
! deadly certainty.
In this connection Il IL interesting 20
note that seals do not catch iish by |
>OfspIt OF them--not nt all. They
boot down frppl above upon the backs
y mp from below 70 strike at the bel.
" ef their hnpy prey
How fast these phocine submarines
IN spesd pp under tho stimulus Of
sxritement or fear no one kpows. E;nt
: n well known when q vessal Is com.
as down before gale OF wind from
no islands, logging fourteen 10 sixteen
rpcss. that beey OF fur seals win OF.
On follow tho ship for hours and re.
'estsdly swim by IT, swim around II
md then renew the chase and circIing
4 it.-Henry w. Elliott IN New York
rimss.