American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-06

lay MS GIGS Wntn ne gets the
chance. as the naval officers term lay
ing mines. Two miles OFF our port
how was a slim gray war vessel. 70
which our skipper gave his attention
for a while. She was a British de-
stroyer cutting through the water. The
sun was by that time screened by a
bank OF clouds. but strcaks OF blue still
remained In the sky. The commander
shot a look aft. then 10 starboard and
f0r'ard Although We we're heading
straight out 20 sea the skipper was
ever on the alert. and from this alert
ness one sensed the dangers OF being
abroad In the North sea In war time,
We continued our plunge on away
from England, and BY the time the
coast line had disappeared the com
mander asked
Motors ready
Motors ready. sir" answered the
sub-lieutenant. wringing his cold iing-
ers. The gas engines were stopt and
the way on the submersible was per-
mltted 10 carry her some distance. Be
fore US we're only the wind-blown
waters and the British destroyer. A
sailor. expert In the use OF his arms
as semaphores. signaled TO the war
ship. and an answer soon was received
by our skipper.
on the engine-room telegraph Of a
submarine Is a word which does not
figure on the apparatus OF other types
OF war ships. IL ls Dive" The con
mander told me that we we're going
down very soon. The destroyer,
which had closed in on US for the pur-
pose OF exchanging signals. now was
speeding out farther TO sea. The sub
mersible was almost at a stop and l
was ordered to get into the coming
tower we'll and be far enough down TO
give the skipper to descend. I'M
mediately after the order TO submerge
has beer rung In the engine-room the
hatch Is closed. and the commander
has no time TO lose when the craft is
diving. 10 takes forty-ive econds to
submerge an undersea craft, and, If
necessary, Il can be accomplished in
thirty seconds.
Bewilderment seized the writer
when he reached the bottom of the
ladder and the maze Of machinery was
revealed as he glanced around him.
There were engines everywhere, and
they were so intricate that he wonder
ed how one young man could master Il
all. They were going down" but the
motion was barely perceptible. He
says.
No sooner had the engine-room re-
ceived the order to submerge than he
skipper FASTENED down the ladder, los
ing not a second in getting TO his peri
scope. Two men sitting side by side
we're looking at bubbles in a glass and
turning wheels. One Of these men
controlled the ~hydroplanes Of the
craft, to keep II level, while the other
saw TO il that the submarine stayed at
the depth ordered by the commander
then twenty-five feet below the sur
; face.
The shippers face was partly con
, cealed behind the black canvas wings
OF the reflector, his hands on the pro-
jecting bars of the periscope. He
Z turned the eye Of his vessel to sweep
!, a part of the horizon. l then noticed
a door In the stern OF the craft-per-
I haps a little aft Of amidships-an
opening close in the face of danger
There were four or five men, ignoring
whether they were under water or on
the surface concentrated on their la.
}. bors. One mistake and the subma.
' rlne and crew are lost. Hence there
' no such thing as inattention to duty
y Finally this door was closed.
v Until the craft has been submerged
' for several hours the aid below doe
10 not change much. Only when she hai
y been under for some time are the
bottles" or air tanks brought int
play
Is In the bows of the submarine a gian
n torpedo was creased and ready to b.
locked IN its air-tight holder. TheI
a the tube was made ready for a victim
Hut lured as ~Du may be TO gaze a
other parts of the craft your atten
p ton is certain TO return TO the cap
m tain. always at the periscope. hand.
d on the brass bars. and eyes glued 4
a the reflector.
Lower periscopei" ordered the cap
IS tain.
ID The order was given distinctly. a
ia no command must be misunderstood
when twenty-five or thirty feet undo
)t the water. A man in the corner. e
the hand who has charge OF the gyro
scopic compass. turned a handle ant
"a the creased steel cylinder slowly wa
10 sunk. until the captain, who had bee
stretched with toes tipped. was will
Bonded knees. his hands extended q
II halt the periscope wheel operator, Tn
Al skipper turned the EYE" around tn.
"a horizon. AZ the right of the skipper
N when the latter Is facing the bows. {
le another officer with his hand on tn
x trigger OF what resembles an upwarI
II pointed pistol Of brass and steel. Thi
ID officer awaits the command TO sem
d off the torpedo.
j. Lower foremost pe%riscope into tn
Is Welt" ordered the commander.
r This duplicate eye OF the boat had no
le been in use-in fact, had not appeareI
,e above the surface since We submerged
"a Take a look at that destroyer" sal
the captain. We're going TO send
ie soft nosod torpedo at her for practise
ID She will pick up the missile and retur0