THE SUBMARINE BOAT. 725 



may require hours to lay the mine in a harbor where strong tides are 

 running. It is just as logical to maintain that 3'ou can fire a 12-inch 

 gun in a fraction of a second, as it is to contend that a i^ulmiarine 

 boat can dive from a surface run to a submerged run condition in a 

 few seconds. 



UNCKRTAINTV OF ACTION OF WHITEHEAD TORPEDO AVHEN LAUNCHED 

 FROM A SUBMARINE KOAT. 



The torpedo which is carried l)y the sul)mai'ine boat has yet to show 

 for submarine work the practical utility for its existence. Next to 

 the arrangement of the mechanism of a watch or a clock, there is 

 probably no contrivance where more appliances are installed in a 

 limited space than in a Whitehead torpedo. The workmanship imxst 

 be of the finest character and the adjustments of a delicate nature, in 

 order to make the torpedo take the desired course. It will l)e admitted 

 that at the torpedo station, or at the establishment where they are 

 manufactured, some very relia])le work is secured fi'om them, but 

 when they are placed on t>oard ship and receive other than ordinaiy 

 care, they perform all manner of strange evolutions wIhmi launched 

 from a tube, and often go astray. When there is actual need to fire 

 these torpedoes there is not at conmiand the skillful mechanics and 

 adjusters that are intrusted with the experimental work at the torpedo 

 station. During the fourteen 3ears that I have been at the Navy 

 Department I have personally asked hundreds of observing officers if 

 they knew of one case in actual warfare where a torpedo, launched 

 from a ship at a moving target, has been etJ'ective. Official records 

 have been examined, but no evidence can be adduced that a single 

 torpedo has sunk a ship that was in motion. 



There have been cases where torpedo l)oats have sunk practicallv 

 abandoned vessels. There are instances where ships at anchor have 

 neglected to keep a lookout, and have in this way l)een struck by a 

 torpedo. It is also a matter of record that in some instances torpedoes 

 have successfully drifted down on ships at ajichor and crippled or 

 destroyed them. The unrelial)ility of the torpedo in actual practice 

 is a factor of importance in determining the worth of the submarine 

 boat. Due to the fact that improper adjustments have been made in 

 the mechanism of Whitehead torpedoes, many either go under the 

 target, sink to the bottom, or take a different course from that intended. 

 The friends of the submarine would have people believe that the action 

 of a torpedo is as certain as that of a rifle shot, and that you have sim- 

 ply to launch the weapon from the tube within striking distance to 

 secure the effect desired. 



DANGER OF USING (5ASOLINE. 



The best propelling agent now available for surface work in a sub- 

 marine is undoubtedly gasoline, but it is to be hoped that petroleum 



