The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-09-17
LIKE A SUBMARINE
The Fur Seal In Many Ways Re.
sembles an Undersea Boat.
IT'S HABITS IN THE WATER
Although II Can Swim Only When
Submerged and Must Rise TO the
Surface Evcry Few Minutes, II 10 .
Marvel Of Speed.

surface Every rev MInutos, X 70 q
Marvel Of Speed.
We have come to regard the soaring
albatross or the condor as the proto-
type Of the aeroplane. When We look
for a natural model for the submarine
fur seal and fully suggested by It's
method OF progression In the sea, for 1t
travels there only when wholly sub
merged.
Unlike, however, the "unterseebote."
the fur seal Is not fitted for swimming
on the surface; It only rises there to
survey. to breathe and to sleep. II
never attempts to swim with head
above water OH any course, no matter
how short 1t rises when undisturbed
or not alarmed, looks about with head
and neck well stretched up above the
surface Of the sea, fills It's lungs with
air Qiterally compressed), turns It's
head down and with It's powerful an-
terror fippers drives itself below the
surface TO the depth of ave or ten feet,
then ahead on that level. Thus sub
merged tho body Of the seal glides
through the water a. swiftly a. a swal-
low In the ART is a vanishing streak
10 our eyes.
How long It remains thus submerged
when travelling no one has any definite
knowledge, but the best consensus Of
opinion gives II a rise at intervals Of
every three or four minutes to breathe
that n, q pause Of less than two or
three seconds, with barely moro than
IT'S nose and eyes above the surface,
tng exhalation and renewed Inhalation
when down goes the trim body to
speed ahead again.
When our submarines were hrst
brought out q trip Of more than 500
mflss from base was tho utmost limit
Of THAR cruising. Today they have
been % perfected that they can cruise
safely more than 5000 miles from that
base. Therefore in this connection II
- interesting TO know that the fur seal
makes a submarine journey In the
north Pacific ocean Of moro than 5000
miles from its base ON the Pribilof 10
lands, In Bering sea, and then returns-
An animal which can not only make
such an extended Journey. but can
Soeer its course over IN uncharted
waste from point to point month by
month, with positive regularity and In
perfect time, must be q nne type Of
swimming machine and II -
4. A< hN
semblance between the cigar shaped
submarine boat and the body form Of
the fur seal. As we view them lateral
~. this resemblance Is complete. They
are both driven ahead by feathering
screws, and they are both kept on the
lsvel Of their submerged course at .
given distance below the surface by
Yudders.
Thsn We observe that the psriscope,
to which the submarine craft owes ali
ot its efficiency. is duplicated exactly
By tho ssars nose and eyes and which
are all that 4 ever lifts above the sur
face when startled and In flight OF,
passage
Again We nots that the fur seal %
a submarine has . great advantage
over the human boat-4t has eyes that
can look ahead and around under wa
far we do not know, but Il
n reasonable to assume that the seafs
eye can SEQ a. far under water a. the
eye Of a camera can, which we have
the evidence Of In good records.
Then, too, It also has an acute sense
Of hearing under sea, for We know that
the whirring OF propellsr's screw
will drive all the seals away for miles
around q steamer. We know that be-
cause some Of the early pelegic seal
ing vessels were fitted with small aux
ilinry screws, and these, when put into
use, had to be removed.
With reference to the powers Of de-
structi0n, Of course our fur seal boat
has no torpedo tubes, but Il can and
does shoot its mouth or" at nsh with
q deadly certainty.
In this connection Il - interesting 10
note that seals do not catch fish By
pursuit Of thsm-no< at all. They
shoot down from above upon tho backs
or up from below TO strike at ths bel
Hes Of their nnny prey.
How fast these phocins submarines
can speed up under tho stimulus Of
excitement or fear no one knows. But
It Is well known when a vessel Il com
ing down before a gale Of wind from
the islands, logging fourteen to sixteen
knots. that a bevy Of fur seals will Of.
ten follow the ship for hours and re
peatedly swim by II, swim around Il
and then renew the chase and circling
Of it-Henry w. Elliott In New York
Times.
wkv IA Mtssod No.