The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-20


 Coast Defense.
 BOTTOM WHEEL $ USED
 FOR ENTERING HARBoRS Possibilities of Underwater Graft For Purposes Other Than Warfare Are Discuss ed in Bridgeporter's Article in Current Periodical.
 Tn the current issue Of the Scientific American, Simon. Lake, the Bridgeport inventor Of submarines, has an interest ing article on the possibilities of the submarine in modern warfare, welling especially on the Lake type which is able to pass through a mine field, strictly invisible from the sur face, and attack 8 blockaded Mr. Lake voices his belief that the world is just begin ming to realize the possibiIItie of the submarine. Mir. Lake s article follows:
 It has been well established that submarine boats should be divided in to two c1asses; one. torpedo boat with as high surface and slib ged speed as 1t is possible to attain. with large radius of action. capable, if possible of exceeding battlesl7fp speed when on the surface so that it may intercept a battle fleet on the high seas and submerge in it's path Of approach before being discovered; the secund class should ns1fH of smaller, slower speed. nine-evad1ng EJbTnarfnes, with torpedo and mining, and counter mining features. Such sl1bnarines are essentially defensives but if they have sufficient radius of action to reach the enemgs harbors and to lie in wait off Che entrance. to such harborss or to enter s11brnerg- ed the harbors themselves and there destroy the enemy's s craft, they have become potent offensive weapons of the raiding fleet. For European power if is relatively easy to give such boats the radius necessary for them to invade an enemy pQrfR
 have not pushed tIfe eonsi dera- ton of the submarine of the second class. with Its anti>nline features, be- cause have been kept busy trying to prohtab1y meet the wishes Of the various governments WI hich demand
  sacrif1ce of some characteri sctics which persona1ly regard very high 1y Most govern naents have been more attracted to vessels Of the first class a speed du all classes of ves- seIs more than anythins else seems to appeal to the fnaginatlons but I think ft may be the old story Of the grort6lse ana the Hare over sgain; and refer to the recommendation Of a. specfa1 board appointed in 1903, recomfnend the purchase of a 1lurnber of Lake type boats for the defenee o1 our own coasts as a proof of this contenttpn.
 Fegards thes first class of sub 7 r5arizes. the present submarine boats ensaeea in the Continental war con- sis e vessels only a few of which have az surface speed exceeding 12 ID knots for one hour or 8 knots for tHEee hours There may be a few in commission that exceed these speeds, but very few Some are in course of couHtruction that are expected to give surface speed of IT and 18 8 knots for forty hours and about II knots submerged for one hour, or a slower speed for greater number of hours. Governments are asking for bids for bids for submarines of greater speed and some have been designed which are expected to make 20 knots oxl the surface. However none o1 them are in service yet One req son that higher surface speeds have not been reached is the difficulty o1 securing a perfectly satisfactory high. power, heavy-oiI. nterna1-eombu bus ton engine, suitable for sibznaTint boat work. As soon as a proven sat Isfactory heavy-oiI engine is turned out by the engine builders. capable o1 delivering 5000 horsepower Del
 
 capable of making up to 25 knots or the surface.
 The largest Eleavy-oil engines so fal bnilt for submarine boat work de ve1op about 1900 horse power pel shaft; but rapid progress is being made, and believe that 25 -kno glIbmarfne boats will be laid down within the next two years Ever this high speed, however will not fuI I'll the destiny of the submarine which in my opinion, is a wfaDon des tined to promote peace between mari time nations by making it hmpossib1 for one nation to Invade or haras the coast line of another nation where submarines exst, and by mak ing 1t impossible for the enemy t. leave their own ports or harbors witt an invding army or armed vessels The submarine, even at it's presen deveIop1nent. has shown it's superior itV over the battleship in coast opera trons; however, to intercept a battle chip at sea, even high speed sub marine must lit in wait perhaps fo days or even weeks at a time, .mucl like a gunner in a blind" waiting fo a flock of ducks to pass within gul shot Because of it's relatively s1oy speed, 1t would have to wait lon time, also, for battIeship or fleet t phss sufhcientIy near to be headed of especially if the submarine were en tfrely ssuoInerged because the mo n7ent the periscope appears above wa ter the quarry will take to it's heeIi if it follows the latest ruling of tn British Admiralty.s sto steam ava full speed, even if it is necessary t