New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-30
BY CHARLES T. TOWER.

For weeks the German under-sea
boat Deutschland has occupied the
first page Of every newspaper in the
land, TO the exclusion Of the Mexican
problem and considerable part Of
eAc European war news. Her journey
across the ocean from Bremen, her
avoidance of the English and French
war vessels and her theatrical dis
closure of her identity at Cape Charles
have constituted the sensation of n
century. But the sensation will be the
greater when it becomes generally
known that the boat is not of German
design or build; that she is really
the original submarine boat Nautilus,
designed by that wonderfully skilfu!
naval architect, engineer and scientist
at-large, Jules Verne, built and navi-
gated over and under many seas by
Captain Memo, and for many years sup
posed TO have been engulfed in the
whirlpool between the islands of Fer
roe and Loffoden, off the coast of Nor
way. in June, 1868; the same vessel,
rebuilt in some degree and refitted IN
d German shipyard, but the Nautilus,
as truly as she was the Nautilus when
She was launched. in 1865 or 1866.
II has been only a supposltion that
the boat was lost in the Whirlpool
based on the fact that no survivors OF
her crew. excepting Mr.. Aronnax, who
wrote the log on board the vessel on
her sensational and somewhat erratic
voyage Of Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under the Sea-" and his two personal
associates. Conseil and Ned Land, ever
appeared in public or ever told any
thing TO the contrary. But II Will be
remembered that Mr. Aronnax declared
in his edition OF the log, which was
published in 1878, that he did not posi-
lively know whether the boat was lost
or not. What has become Of the
Nautilus" he asks. Did it resist the
pressure Of the maelstrom? Does Cap
tain Memo still live? Will the missing
vessel tell US by its nationality that
Of Captain Memo? hope so. And !
also hope that his powerful vessel has
conquered the sea at its most terrible
gulf. and that the Nautilus has sur
vived where so many other vessels have
been lost
From the Maelstrom's Vortex.
Where or by whom the boat was sal
vaged is not known at present; where
she has been these nearly fifty years;
in what place Of concealment she has
rested. are still a mystery; perhaps
in the Blight Of Heligolsnd, that dot on
the ocean near the German coast which
England tipped away as if 1t were
copper coin, thirty years or so ago, TO
blind the eyes of some other folks TO
something of great Importance that
She had in hand. All that is definitely
known is that some one in the inner
circle Of German maritime interests
has resurrected the famous old under
sea craft. rebuilt her in some degree,
refitted her and sent her on mission
TO the United States-a mission OF
such tremendous Importance that at
the moment it is beyond comprehen-
sion. And there has not been so
much of rebuilding and reftting, after
all.
Change in the Power Plant.
Don't believe it? Why, it is so thor
oughly true as to be automatic. Read
such description of the boat that ar
rived at Baltimore on Sunday evening
o. mas been made public; then read Mr..
Aronnax's logbook; make careful com
parisoa Of the description of the Nau-
titus which is contained therein with
that of the so-called Deutschland
dare to saw that they are not one and
the same vessel. The power plant IS
new in part, and in part renewed. Mr..
Verne designed the Nautilus to be
driven by electric power generated by
Urinary batteries, something that
would be out of the question to-day,
but possible in the case of the Nau-
titus, because her owner was man o.
enormous wealth and because he had
discovered an inexhaustible source OF
supply of the materials required to
renew his batteries; the primary bat
terry was the only available means OF
providing power for underwater pro-
pulsion, as the Diesel motor, now IN use
on all submarine vessels as a power
plant for use on the surface and for
generating electricity for power TO be
used under water, had not been de-
veloped. In fact, neither the Germans
nor any one else made any considerable
use of the Diesel principle of motor
construction until the Diesel patents
had expired Besides, Mr.. Verne had no
dynamos with which 70 translate the
power produced by motors into cleo
tricity, although he had the essential
principle in the electric motors with
which he turned his propeller. And
the vessel is now fitted with periscopes,
which the Nautilus in her early days
did not have. If she had been equipped
with periscopes in 1866 and 1867, it is
probable that she would not have beer
in collision with the Columbus, the
shannon, the Helvetia and other ocean
steamships during those years, much
TO the annoyance of their owners and
the mystihcation OF the public. Also,
the Nautilus in her reincarnation has