LIFE IN SUBMARINES.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXV, Issue 2141, 4 August 1908, Page 6

LIFE IN SUBMARINES.

A very interesting description of work in the submarine branch of tho American navy appears in the New York 'Post.' The American navy, it seems, has a better record than the British in the matter of accidents, and the Americans are justly proud of the way in which their men handle these dangerous machines. But the service apparently docs not considei submarines as dangerous as people think. "In the history" of our navy," says a naval officer, "we have yet to lose a boat, and as long as we keep to simple plans, a one-design boat, and maintain our efficiency and discipline drills, every submerged crew is as safe as though it were on the surface. The losses of the French navy have been due to an attempt to work with a number of designs. The result has been nothing but confusion." it is contended that nothing but carelessness or au enemy's torpedo would render a submarine helpless while submerged. This, however, ignores accidents to machinery, such as tho one which disabled -the British A 9. The elimination of the unfit is searching. The submersion of the vessel is an admirable test of nerve. It is done day alter day, anil the man who shows the least sign of fear never sets foot on a submarine again, and rightly so, for the moment a man loses his hcs\d in a submarine, he becomes dangerous. One drop, however, is usually enough for a timid man. The work is said to be much more commonplace than a landsman would think. "You are jammed into a >tiifi'y, hot. uncomfortable hole, "ion don't see anything—l >ut machinery. You watch a pointer jumping on a dial and move your hands according To clocks. You are a mach inc. and you are running ;-, machine. That's all. i here is nothing to he seen but machinery and the gri en water against tho porthole, in short, the whole business, which sram so thrilling to a landsman, is really rather tame. But these are the views of submarine officers, and naval men are given to depreciating their work. We are sure only the most modest account of tho disaster to A 9 could be extracted from one of her heroic officers.