The evening current., 1917-11-28
TRIP ON 'U'.BOAT
IS RACKINC TO .
THE HUMAN BODY
Like Living Inside the Mechan-
ism Of a Watch.
EVER ON WATCH FOR ENEMY
Correspondent Says Human Beings
Could Not Remain Submerged In
Submarine Fifteen Hours Day for
Many Dsys-Hesrt OF the ship Gen.
ters About the Two Periseopes.

ters ABOUT tne Two horoscopes
Wherever one sees n Frenchman
these days. whether on land, on water,
or In the mir. the thick of the fighting is
near. The same Is true OF fighting un-
der the water. have Just returned
/ from passing two days and three nights
under the Adriatlc sea In the NJ, a
French submarine, says A. Il. Decker,
In the Chicago Daily News. We were
cruising for hostile undersea craft that
Cattaro for the Mediterranean and the
! Atlantic, and for enemy surface ships
which might dash out at night from be-
hind the Dalmatlnn islands to attack
the southern Italian bases, or the
drifter line across the Otranto straits.
Commander r. of the submarine
in which was 20 sail led the way down
n perpendicular ladder into the main
corridor Of the NJ and showed the
the compact but comfortable quarters
three small, wood-trimmed state
rooms for the officers and a locker
where could install shakedown. IL
was alrendy hot ms sin and was glad
To strip and don the blue jumper and
Oyeralls which were loaned me. Then
] could at least pcrspire without think
ing Of my clothes.
Slipping Out Of Harbor.
gave hut hasty glance around at
the countless valves and conduits. and
then hastrned above. taking care 10
protect myself against the cold. We
are getting under way. Commander
R was In the coming tower. He had
slipped on tunic over his jumper and
wore his service cap. as did the other
officers one Of whom was at the stern
and the other ut the bow. superintend-
Ing the departure. ! climbed out OF the
coming tower and took a place
amongst the crew grouped near the
wire railing, The evening air was cool
and refreshing. as we backed. turned
and went ahead until We swung on our
course toward the outer hArbor. The
silent summing electric motor brought
us along so smoothly We seemed to alp
through the water. gathering heaChsay
until neat. wsll-turned waves fell OF
the bows.
With much puffing and snorting the
duty of turning the screws was taken
from the electric motor and turned
over to one OF the all engines, while
the remaining oil engines charged the
accumuiators against the time when
we should have TO submerge. Our
anaaI aaA aaA In, A.I al
old castle and the landmarks OF the
quaint southern ;;eiisn town had fused
In the glow u q vivid sunset. When
the moon rose was still breathing the
cool salt air. for one stay OF Ave min
utes In the heat below decks had
driven me above. l stood In the con-
ming tower, ready at a moments no.
tice to dive out OF sight. Sailors were
In forward hatch, the only remaining
one left open. Not soul was on tho
bare decks which seemed weird In the
moonlight. Long ago. the wire railing
had been dismOunted aud slowed be-
low. our sharp PROV cut Its way
through a slightly rufiied sea. spread
Ing a gloom Of phosphorescence In our
wake. A fun moon ilt up the Adriatic. |
enabling us to see n long distance.
But the rall OF sleep won over the
rareness Of the situation. Before day
light | was awakened by the stopping
Of the oil engines. Climbing into the
coming tower. | found that Comman-
der R was preparing TO submerge.
Sailors Won't Close Hatehes.
We already had been partly sub
merged, that is, u sufficient number Of |
the water compartments had been filled |
80 that tho iilling OF few more would |
cause the M 20 dive. We we're |
nearly balanced. During the night
hours the Diesel engines had been
storing energy into the accumulators |
and now the switch was made. A last |
order came through the speaking tube
and We slowly sank. Commander |
Rs arrival told me that we were |
entirely under water. He was the last
man 10 descend the coming tower lad,
der after he himself had closed and
boited the hatch. II Is strange but
sailors on submarines do not IKE to
open or close the matches. They fear
that this water VIII enter and engslf
them. However. the weight OF the wa
ter IL such that II is impossible 10
bulge the matches once ths ship q
partly under water.
AZ t;So o'ciock we were under the
Adriatic and our real submarine lifs
began. No physical sensation told me-
that we were halow the sea. My breath