South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-28

and the pressure which the water
| eXerts at a depth Of one foot upon
an area one foot square equals the
weight of a cubic foot Of water. or
6212 pounds At depth of 10 feet
this becomes 625 pounds, and at
200 feet il amounts 10 800
pounds. or ga tons per square foot.
/ To go down mile it would he nee
essary 10 resist a pressure of 800.
| 600 pounds 10 the square foot. or
about $500 atmospheres.
The bodies Of deep-sea animals
are so constructed that they are
able 10 enduse such pressures. the
water filling all open cavities. while
the bodily fluids distribute the pres
sure i'm all directions. and the blood
and other liquids, counteract the
| effects Of the pressure of the at
mosphere. amounting To Is pounds
to the square inch.
! But if we ascend rapidly to great
| heights. where the atmospheric
/ pressure is considerably reduced
! serious symptoms attack us. such
as dizziness. deafness. bleeding,
etc. Baloonists ascending to
heights of several miles have been
rendered unconscious. partly by
| the effects of the release of the
accustomed pressure. and partly
| because of the diminutiOn of the
supply of oxygen
! Deep-sea animals brought swift
| ly TO the surface sometimes liter
! ally explode. or are torn to pieces.
/ by the internal pressure which is
no longer counterbalanced from
without. 4 less violent. but equal
| Is fatal. disaster Of a similar ma
ture might overtake man who was
instantaueOusly transported from
sea-level to a height Of four or five
miles. where the inner pressure
would exceed that Of the air out
side by seven OF eight pounds to the
square inch.
Just as the ordinary working
depth OF divers. or Of workmen
lemployed i'm caissons for. building
submarine foundations. varies from
so 10 60 feet. seldom much exceed
{ ing 100. so that of submarine boats
/ is generally confined To about the
same limits. At a depth Of 80 20
60 feet a submarine can pass UNI
derueath heavy surface vessels
while for ramming purposes. or for
the discharge of torpedoes. il is un-
necessary to go TO a greater depth
than corresponds TO that of the an
armOred part of ships hull. At
such moderate depths. too. the sub
marine is safe from projectiles. and
beyond the range of eyesight. eN-
cept i'm very clear water. when the
observer is placed at a considerable
elevation, as i'm an aeroplane or OBJ
servation balloon.
After the great war is finished
it is probable that submarine navi-
cation may gradually put into prac-
tice some of the useful things suc-
gested in Jules Nerne's story. al
ready referred TO. The necessities
Of war. banishing all calculations
Of expense and calling into play
degrees Of physical and moral cour-
age rarely manifested except under
conditions of super excitement. have
I In three years taught us more of the
possibilities that lie in this direc-
zion than we should have learned
in so or 100 years OF peace
Submarine boats may carry work
[ ing crews. whose members. wearing
a proper dress. could emerge on
the bottom Of bays and harbors
and carry on under water labors
on a scale hitherto unapproached.
Ice-bound ports could be reached by
such vessels running under Che ice,
and thus commerce could be re-
/ leased from winter letters. Subma-
rine lifeboats would conquer the
perilS of tossing seas. Let peace