300 MARVELS OF THE YEAR 1909 



The greatest record for dirigible balloons was made by Count Zeppelin, 

 who covered 450 miles in the Zeppelin III. 



Close on the heels of the splendid achievement of the discovery of the 

 North Pole came an achievement in-many respects as wonderful — a four day 

 boat across the Atlantic. The giant Cunard steamship Lusitania, which arrived 

 in New York Sept. 3, 1909, made the course from Daunts's Rock Lightship to 

 the Ambrose Channel Lightship — over which all ocean records are computed — 

 in four days, 11 hours and 42 minutes. This time clipped three hours and 

 10 minutes from the previous best record which was made by the Mauretania, 

 her sister ship. Throughout the entire trip the Lusitania averaged 25.85 knots 

 — another record in itself. 



Less than a hundred years ago it took at least thirty days to cross the 

 Atlantic. Frequently it required two months. It was not until 1885 that a 

 ten day boat was a reality. From that time the steamship lines have reduced 

 the passage hour by hour and day by day until 1907 when the first five day 

 boat appeared. 



While records were being broken on land and sea and air, other records were 

 being made below the surface of the water. 



The Octopus, a submarine built for the United States Navy, broke the 

 world's record on May 22 last by reaching the remarkable speed of more than 

 eleven knots an hour under water. According to the official report made to the 

 Secretary of the Navy, the Octopus covered a mile at the rate of 11.6 knots, 

 the best previous record being 8.5 knots, made by a British submarine last 

 year. In the diving test she went down at an angle of eight degrees to a depth 

 of twenty-six feet in a fraction less than forty seconds. The best previous 

 record for such diving was forty-six seconds, made by the Fulton, of the 

 Octopus type. In addition, the Octopus, while going at full speed on the sur- 

 face dived to a depth of twenty feet in four minutes and twenty seconds, the 

 best previous time being eleven minutes. 



A world's record for depth of submergence with a crew aboard was made 

 by the Lake, also a United States submarine, on May 23, when she went down 

 135 feet. The best record previous to this was 130 feet, made by a French 

 submarine. 



Thus it will be seen that the United States Government has submarines 

 that are superior to any others in the world and there are now 104 in actual 

 commission in the several navies and one hundred more are authorized or 

 building. It is predicted that within two years submarines with a submerged 



