LIFE ON A SUBMARINE.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 10

LIFE ON A SUBMARINE.

NOVEL AKD INTERESTING CONDI- . TIONS. Out of the different types of vessels which go to make a modern fleet, those which undoubtedly excite the keenast interest of the public at large are the submarines. This, partly, because it ie forbidden to visit them, "out chiefly because submarines are the latest type of vessel. And then there i≤ so much unusual romance and weird possibilities, so many mysterious powers attached to the conception of those little salmon-? haped craft, in the mind of the unsophisticated onlooker. How do they look inside, what does it feel like to be closed up in one, how deep do they plunge, how many men live on board, and, above all, what kind of life do those men lead? Such are the eager questions which everyone asks when in presence of this latest and most deadly form of naval weapon. Before taking the reader down in one of the submarines and introducing to him its mysteries, which needless to say do not quite respond to the fanciful and almost fantastic idea the average person forms about them, a few preliminary details may be of use. A submarine is manned by a crew of sixteen—two officers and fourteen men. All are volunteers from the fleet. The fourteen men comprise: 2 artificers, to look after the engines. 1 etoker-petty-officer. 3 "stokers." 1 coxswain (first-class potty-officer). 3 electricians—or torpedo men. 3 seamen acd 1 leading seaman. Every man who volunteers for service in a submarine must submit to a special medical examination, much attention ■being paid to the heart and lungs. The life on board on« of those little vessels is not, as many people think, particularly dangerous. But it is so entirely different from that which is led in the other types of ships that after having served two years or so in the submarines the men are taken away from them and sent on board a cruiser or battleship co that they may keep in touch with the ordinary service. Let it be aiso understood that the active service in submarines is limited to a period of three weeks—on end— I during the summer, and one week during the winter. The rest of the year the officers and men live in what is called a "parent"—or "mother"—ship, but they "exercise" the boat three or four times a week, generally from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., going through various evolutions, sued as diving and "attacking, ,, and aiso tor-pedo-firing. Let us go down through the hatchway of the little conning tower. A few rungs of Udder and we reach the main j deck, the only deck, in fact, of the submarine, inside the "fish," in the hull. The first impression is one of heat. The air is close and, as a ! seaman expressed it, "Ain't it thick, sir!" j and he added, "It soon makes you feel j sleepy, but they keep us so busy in here that we get over the drowsiness." How small! The higheet standingroom is 6ft Gin high, and towards both ends the roof gradually declines and the floor becomes narrower. The hull tapirs away to a point; so much so, indeed, that as one proceeds one must crawl on all fours. There are no port-holes. The hatchway of the conning tower is the only aperture, but when thie ie closed— while the vessel is under water—electric lamps illuminate the small -space. There are ventilators, of course, but when the submarine dives the; are shut off with a cap. There are no partitions on this unique deck; the life on board a submarine is essentially "in common"; the officers and the men are always together. The manner in which a multitude of objects are crammed in together in the narrow space—various sets of machinery, pipes, torpedoes, hammocks, cooking apparatus, and so forth—is almost miraculous! "How do you spend the day?" I asked the coxswain "As a rule we turn out at 6.30. At 7.45 comes breakfast. The two officers have the uae of a wooden table 3ft by 2ft, and two folding camp stools. The cooking is done in an electric oven, and ws are careful not to use anything that may have a strong or disagreeable smell; no onions are used in a submarine, and very little fish. The fumas of the gaso lene engine are bad enough. Our breakfast is generally made of tea, bread and butter, bacon and eggs. The men sit on the floor as well as they can. The bill of fare of dinner is generally beef and potatoes, and we get our grog—threequarters of water and one quarter of rum —like all other seamen. "At four we have tea, and we take cupper usually at eight. At 10.30 w-? turn in. As regards work, well, there is quite enough to do keeping the place in order, cleaning the torpedoes, and everything else. There is no smoking below, ■but when we are on the surface we smoke on the bridge." "How are orders given?" I a.sked. "In words—the place is small enough. There is no such thing as 'piping , in a submarine." I ventured to ask the coxswain a few questions about punishments, but ha turned on mc eomewhat abruptly, and retorted: "'We never neftd any, we are picked men!" But an officer gaily informed mc that when there were any infractions of the rules, which hardly ever happened, the culprit jpaid (th« penalty when on board the mother-ship. I then inquired about the noise, tho speed, the dangers, and comforts of a submarine. Contrary to the prevalent notion, there is not much noise inside those little vessels when they are submerged, nothing but the buzzing of the motor, which as an officer put it, "reminds one of the noise of the 'tube' on a smaller scale." The greatest depth to which submarines go does not exceed thirty feet, but as a rule they travel lifteen feet below water. The speed averages twelve or thirteen knots on the surface, and eight knots below. The air is quite "breathable" for four hours, but in the case of emergency, thanks to special devices, the crew can remain seventy hours closed up in a submarine without danger to their lives. "How do you like the life?" I asked my friend the coxswain. "We all love it. It is so quiet, so interesting, and then there is not so much discipline as there is in a battleship. "This does not mean that there is less order among us. On the contrary; but -living as we do, in common, in a small space, the discipline has no need of being so stern. We are like one family, olficere and men partaking almost of the same food, breathing the same air, leading the same life, and sharing the same daggers. "But there jS no danger to speak of in submarines. They are the safest things afloat, providing everyone does his duty. Tbey are buoyant enough; they cannot jjet down, unless we Want them to.'

- "By the way, the white mice we used to have to warn us of impending dangers have entirely been done away with." ' "What do you use, then?" "Oh, there is no need for us to use anything,' , he said. - '"We can smell any escape of petrol, and then we know that an explosion is possible, and we do what is necessary. "When the weather is fair there is naturally very little rolling. Submarines are steady and extremely seaworthy. It it is the officers on the bridge who have the worst time of it. Of coarse, in a very rough sea we are shaken about a bit, and in such a narrow space we are I bound to bump against something or j other! .... But in such circum-j stances we stretch 'steady lines* every] few feet across the boat and hold on to them." "Isn't your life rather depressing?"' "Not at all. What an idea!" And the coxswain laughed. "We are the cheeriest crowd in the Xavy," said his officer. "There are no mouldy people in submarines. Beside 3, everyone knows that the supply of volunteers for service in submarines exceeds the demand." The officer sang the praisee of his men. His opinion and the attitude of the submarine men reminded mie of Lord Charles Beresford's words concerning the characteristics of British seamen: "Splendid courage in critical moments, readiness 01 resource, individuality, a loyal cense of duty, combined with a chivalrous idea of honour and a cheery demeanour under all circumstances." R.C., in the "Daily Mail."