The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-04-04

A Dramatic Moment After the Enemy
10 Located Until the Range 10 Found
and the Red Lights Flash the Order
to Fire the Deadly Torpsd ,ss.
A submarine is a maze Of machinery.
Unlike any other ship. she has two sets
Of driving engines-one oil and the 9TH
er electric-and she is built with the
incest regard for weight.
First let us say something about the
engines. They are the most important
part Of the boat.
At first gasoline engines, like those
used on automobiles and motorboats,
were installed in submarines. The Ger
mans had them in some of the subma-
rines that they used in the beginning
Of the war. We, too, used them. But
as the gasoline engine was made bigger
to meet the demand for increased pow
er and speed it literally broke down.
The Diesel engine had to be used. 1t
was invented by Rudolf Diesel, Ger
man engineer, while he was student.
In the Diesel engine air is sucked into
the cylinder and subjected to such pres
sure by the piston that it becomes in
tensely hot. Then a little oil is squirt
ed in. At once the Oil vapor ignites
and the mixture Of oil vapor and high
ly compressed air expands with explo-
sive suddenness. The Diesel is the most
efficient type OF engine ever invented,
utilizing as 1t does about 30 per cent Of
the energy in the fuel as contrasted
with only Is per cent In the best steam
engines. But it also uses air. In other
words, it breathes. When q submarine
Is under water the crew must keep
alive by breathing what air they can
obtain from tanks. They have enough
for not more than thirty-six hours.
So 1t becomes necessary to equip
submarine with electric motors fed by
storage batteries As soon as q sub
marine dives the breathing Diesel en-
CINE is cut out and the electric motor
in.
Like the policeman's In Gilberts
song, the life Of a submarine sailor
man is not a happy one. The quarters
are necessarily so cramped that It is
difficult to provide ordinary ship COM
forts. The officers have cots and the
crew hammocks for sleeping. In our
new boats iceboxes are provided, so
that fresh meat and vegetables can be
served. In addition, there is a dry
food supply sufficient for five days. At
sea the crew is put on a daily fresh
water allowance. To battle the men
must jump over the side.
Even when the boat Is running on
the surface the ventilation is poor.
shop who did not provide his workmen
with any more air than the men in a
submarine breathe would be arrested.
When the boat is submerged the nau-
seating oil odor, the battery fumes and
the vitiated air exhaled from q score OF
lungs make one wonder why every one
Is not sick. AS a matter Of fact, sea-
produced by these conditions
Is common enough.
What is the scene within a subma-
rine when an attack Is made? A Ger
man officer Of the U-26 gave this &C
count Of an attack on an unnamed
British warship:
'The boat is cleared for action. The
dagpole Is taken down. Part OF the
bridge is folded up and dashed. The
periscope is elevated. The hatch
through the combined bridge and con-
ming tower is tightly closed. The mo-
tors cease their endless song. From
now on electricity will drive us until
we rise to the surface again.
"a young lieutenant is posted at the
oeriscope and looks for the enemy.
The sailors take their position near the
.orpedoes. The interior Of the boat
q lighted with two small electric
bulbs. They do not clear the gloom.
is the smell Of stale oil
It is impossible to speak with the din |
# the machinery and of the inrushing
water.
From time to time the officer In |
Of the torpedoes looks at his
watch, which he wears on his wrist, |
u at the compass. Intently the men
Ill watch q signal board in front Of |
hem on the side of the boat Sudden
y we start to forget the heat, the foul
lir, the discomfort. In small luminous |
etters the word Attention flashes up
IN the board. The commanding officer |
,rasps the lever which will release the |
irst torpedo. The men prepare to !
aunch the second as soon as the first |
s discharged. Half a second later and |
he red letters on the board say Fire!
The lever is jerked, and the torpedo
caps out There is a short metallic |
lick and the noise of the water rush
ng into the empty tube. The second
orpedo is at once inserted. A few
seconds later and the interior Of the
Iubmarine looks as before the attack
,egan.
"But what of the first torpedo? We
lear only the noise Of the motors. We
wait. Nothing happens. Then sud-
lenly we are all thrown In heap by
he shaking of the boat. Then the /