The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-03-10
HOW SUBMARINE DOES ITSs
WORK OF DESTRUCTION

can descend Ia Il depth greater than
l." Ieet. Consequently there is very
niue resting on the bottom once they
start on cruise far out 10 sea.
A submarine that wishes to dodge
NeSSeiS ail"at may sink and remain
beneath the water until ii figures that
all danger is past. Her commander
VIII KNOW when he has descended
about eighty feet and ne will remain
there. He has delicate Instruments
/ Notwithstanding bells some call them
that convey to him the throb of a
/ propeller. He can then cruise by COM
/ pass To some other portion of the sea
ana There take his chances of being
/ discovered when coming up.
When rising to the surface for air
ana observation those on submarines
IN war time take chances. They have
no way Of learning the presence of
some drifting trawler armed with q
ilSht gun that can destroy them. Nor
can they Know torpedO-boat DESTROYER
Is waiting, ready with her sharp prov
To ram them.
aviation has proved of great assist
ance in the hunt for submerged suh-
marines. Observers in hydronlonoS
can spot" the submarine even when.
submerged and warn torpedo boats of
its presence.
When the submarine has poked her !
perlScope above water and those on |
board have noted the sea is clear she
can rise. She remains at the cruising
uepth While searching for her prey or
watching for the appearance of fight
ing ships, from which she will flee
she Is defenSeleSS and must be carefuI
lest she be destroyed while irving 10
Iaunch her torpedo. Therefore she is
used principally as a commerce raider
II ut the cruising depth the look
out sights the smoke of some vessel
the course is changed. and when at
the proper distance the submarine is
sunk beneath the surface, only the
DeriscOpe sticking up.
"NoiseleSSly we slip closer and
closer in our exciting chase" the
commander of one of the U-boats has
related The main thing was that
Iur periscope should not be observed
20 mat the steamer would not change
Ter course at the last moment and
'Scape us. Very cautiously | stick
uSt the tip of the periscope above
he surface at intervals of few
take the position of the
teamer in second, and, like flash
'ull ii down again.
Ihls second was sufficient for me
see what | wanted to see. The
teamer was To starbOard and was
eadlng at a good speed across our
oWS. To judge from the foaming |
'aVes which were thrown off from |
ne bows | calculated that her speed |
lust he about sixteen knots. |
Estimating Speed.
The hunter knows how important |
is to have a knowledge of tbe
peed at which his prey is moving
e can calculate the speed closer
hen ii is wounded hare tb,n
hen it is one which i'm flight nj bigb
)eed PUSHES past. 1t was ONLY necas-
Try for me, therefore, TO caIcuIota
lie speed of the ship. for which q
hlor mas an experienced eye | then
otted the exact angle we needed |
easured this by scale which had
zen placed above the sights of tho
'riScope. Now | only had to Iet the |
Gamer come along until il had |
ached the zero point on the neri- |
ope and fire the torpedo. which |
en- must strike its mark. |
You see, it is very simple. esti- |
ate the speed of the boat, aim with
g perlScope, and fire at the right 49,.
Dment." w
commanders must COL "
late well the speed of the vessel NJ ~
llch they intend firing and figure ~
actly where it will be when the for. ~
do shall hit it. They have instru. ~
'hts Tor measuring the speed of the
SSei. The commander who will no
cceSSful in Il surprise attack rnuS,
Dve correct in his presumption that 49,
mas not been observed. The veS- v
must continue at it's uS,aI snaed
en- IL Is merely a mathematical m
'Dlem, worked out with n S4notho,
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