268 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



land type from Messrs. Vickers, Maxim and Co., who had acquired the 

 concession for the use of the Holland Company's patents. These first 

 vessels in essentials were repetitions of the type which had been tried 

 and officially approved by the authorities of the United States Navy. 

 It was agreed that all improvements made by the Holland Company 

 should be at the service of the British Admiralty through the English 

 concessionaires. In this manner the royal navy at once acquired 

 advantages attaching to the long experience and great skill of Mr. 

 Holland; and with that advantage there was associated the possibility 

 of utilizing their own technical resources and those of Messrs. Vickers, 

 Maxim and Co. For five years a continuous policy has been followed 

 in the development of our submarines, all of which have been con- 

 structed at Barrow-in-Furness. There has been a great development 

 in size, speed and general efficiency, resulting necessarily in correspond- 

 ingly greater cost per vessel. Information of an official and authorita- 

 tive character relating to submarines is freely published in France and 

 the United States, but for British submarines, corresponding official 

 information is scanty. It has for years been the rule to give in the 

 navy estimates full particulars of dimensions and costs for all other 

 classes of British warships; but for submarines a policy of secrecy is 

 adopted that is most unreasonable and unnecessary. From the best 

 sources of information accessible, it appears that the growth in size, 

 with a correspondingly increased cost, has been even more rapid here 

 than in France. Our first five submarines are 63 feet in length, 120 

 tons in displacement, with gasolene engines of 160 horse-power for sur- 

 face propulsion, giving a speed of 8 to 9 knots. The electric motors 

 for submerged propulsion are estimated to give a speed of about 7 

 knots. The contract price for each vessel in the United States was 

 about 34,000Z., and that is about the price paid for our earliest vessels. 

 The latest type of which particulars are available are said to be about 

 150 feet in length, 300 tons in displacement, and with gasolene engines 

 of 850 horse-power for surface propulsion, giving a surface speed of 

 13 knots and a radius of action of 500 miles. The under-water speed 

 is 9 knots, and the radius of action when submerged about 90 miles. 

 No official particulars have been published as to the contract price for 

 these vessels, which is certainly an undesirable course to adopt, seeing 

 that for other and admittedly sufficient reasons these contracts have 

 not. been subject to competition as yet. It may be hoped that the 

 admiralty will reconsider this matter and treat submarines similarly to 

 other vessels. 



In French official classification a distinction is made between sub- 

 marines and submersibles, and this terminology has been the cause of 

 some confusion. Both classes are capable of diving when required, 

 and both can make passages at the surface. In this surface condition 

 a considerable portion of the vessel lies above the water-surface and 



