TO THE NEEDS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 125 
thereon. Furthermore, the literature presenting the arguments for the 800-ton boat indicates 
it to be the estimated average which European nations are now building; whereas little enough 
is definitely known of what they really are building, and the deduction therefore seems of 
doubtful accuracy, upon that basis also, in the absence of any better evidences than those cited. 
The claims made in favor of boats of the 800-ton size were to the effect that two 800- 
ton boats could, between them, keep a station 300 miles from the coast, which would 
require three coast-defense boats of the “K” class to do the same work at equal costs; that 
two 800-ton boats at $1,500,000 could keep a station 600 miles from the coast, which would 
require four coast-defense boats, costing $2,000,000; that two 800-ton boats could keep a 
station 1,200 miles from the coast which would require ten coast-defense boats, costing 
$5,000,000, to do the same work; that each of the larger vessels had a round-trip seagoing 
radius of action from its base of twenty-one days as against ten days or two weeks for 
the smaller boat; that the larger boat possessed more comfort for the crew and was not 
limited in its supply of provisions and battery re-watering facilities, as in the smaller boat, 
permitting the above-mentioned greater radius of operation; that the smaller boat was 
limited to return to its base after an absence of ten days for re-watering the batteries; 
that the provision supply of the smaller boat was limited to a maximum radius of action of 
ten days; and that the discomfort of the crew at sea in the smaller boat was too great to 
be endured owing to seasickness from greater rolling and pitching, to smaller air-breath- 
ing spaces full of fumes and gases, and to smaller freeboard for airing the crew on deck in 
heavy weather. I have drawn up a tabulation of the various elements affecting these con- 
clusions from all classes of existing vessels, between the H class of 358 tons and the Schley 
of 1,106 tons surface displacement, and have deduced therefrom, and from other data, the 
following conclusions :—The internal volume of free air spaces is 7,500 cubic feet on the H 
class, 9,360 cubic feet on the L class, and 21,400 cubic feet on the Schley. As to the breath- 
ing of internal fumes and gases, it is believed from experience on board under way in ves- 
sels ranging between the relatively ancient Grampus and Pike, of many years ago, with 
their noxious fumes and gases that could hardly be endured, and the most recent vessels 
that are comparatively clear of such gases, that on the whole there will be little difference 
as between the sizes of boats under discussion; in the submarine of today the noxious gases 
have varied not in proportion to displacements or free air space, but in proportion to their 
modernity, where the liquid containers and ventilation systems have been so perfected in the 
recent types that this question is no longer to be compared with the adverse conditions on 
the older vessels. As to provisions, a calculation made on the basis of the standard de- 
signed allowances shows that for the H class the regular stowage lockers will contain a 
supply sufficient to last the regular complement sixty days. Similar figures for the L boats 
indicate fifty-five days, and for the Schley, thirty-nine days. The variation is not altogether 
inversely in proportion to the displacement but generally so, and the smaller vessel, with 
its greater radius of action, possesses a greater advantage in that regard. These calcu- 
lations do not allow for provisions stowed upon the decks inside the vessel, but such stow- 
age is entirely feasible and would be desirable and available, if need be, to extend the radius 
of action of the vessel, which could be made much more than the above figures indicate— 
far beyond the distance allowed in the compilations of the desired stations for coast-sub- 
marine defense during war. As to re-watering the batteries, distillers are being installed, 
a fact evidently not then known to the recent advocates of the 800-ton boat, and the limi- 
tation in fresh water for re-watering the batteries may be entirely eliminated and the ves- 
