Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER V

  SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF A SUBMARINE

  With a click the door of their prison cabin opened and a seaman informedthem that their breakfast was ready. They passed through the narrowdoor, and edged their way along a tortuous path that led to the rear,where they entered what might be called a miniature galley, on one sideof which was a narrow shelf containing food of various descriptions.

  There was room only for the attendant to pass while they were seated. Anabundance of the best food was served, cereals, and even fruit, formingpart of the menu. Each of these vessels carry from twenty-two to thirtymen, but there were in sight in the dining room only ten, besides thecook and waiter.

  After the meal, the captain inquired of the officer at the main hatchwhether they would be permitted to go on deck.

  "I have no orders," he replied.

  Meanwhile, the boys had an opportunity to investigate the mysteries ofthe interior, for it was well lighted.

  "What are those long drums ahead there?" asked Alfred.

  "I think they are the casings which carry the torpedoes," replied thecaptain. "If you look beyond you will see the rear ends of the tubeswhich receive the torpedoes. The cylinders in sight hold the torpedoesuntil they are ready to be placed in the tubes and shot out of them."

  "You have orders to go on deck," the under officer at the bottom of thehatch now informed them.

  This was an invitation to which they quickly responded. They ascended,and found the sun hidden, and the sea about them calm. Glancing acrossthe broad expanse of water, not a sail was in sight. It was a cold, graymorning, ordinarily uninviting weather, but after the house ofconfinement it was enjoyed to the fullest extent.

  "Down below!" shouted a voice.

  The boys looked around in surprise, for they had been on deck less thanten minutes.

  "Clear the deck!" shouted the same voice. The boys, with the captain,were hustled forward into the conning tower, and the iron door closedwith a bang. The boys were permitted to stop only long enough to see twomen turn eight swinging bolts, which hung about the margins of thedoors, and quickly screw them up against the jamb.

  The lieutenant was leaning over a narrow table on which was a chart, andgazing through a crystal-covered port in the front of the conning tower.A bell tinkled, machinery began to turn and impart its vibration to theship, and it was again a living thing. It glided forward with the samerhythmic noises for a half-hour, and then two bells were heard.

  The character of the sounds from the machinery changed; they seemed tomove forward with less effort, and as they felt the same inclination inthe motion of the ship, all were now satisfied that she was againsubmerging. Fortunately, they were not confined to their room, and,although no verbal orders had been given for the various operationsrequired to handle the vessel, the prisoners had an opportunity to judgeof what was going on.

  Thus, when the signal was given to change the motive power from theinternal combustion engines to electricity, they could see the enginestop, and an attendant shift the clutch which engaged the electricmotors. A dial swinging over a card alongside a pair of levers indicatedthe direction of movement, while another gave not only the inclinationof the ship, but its speed as well.

  These things were very fascinating to the boys, but their attention wasnow attracted to a still more interesting scene. A bell forward gave twoshort, quick snaps. Four men sprang forward and stood at attention, twoon each side of the tube at the right of the hold.

  "The indicator shows that the submarine is turning," said the captain.The boys watched the indicator; it had swung around almost half-way.

  "There,--look at the inclinometer," said Ralph. "It is movingupward----"

  "Ting! ting!" Two more sharp bells forward. The cylinder was off thetorpedo, and it lay before them exposed.

  Three bells more; and now there was feverish haste. An oval door in thewall ahead was swung open, revealing a round, black hole.

  "That is the torpedo tube," said the captain quietly.

  The torpedo was moved back three feet, and then again carried forward onits truck so that the end of the torpedo entered the tube.

  One bell more. The torpedo moved into the tube, the breech block, whichin this case was the oval door, closed, and the crew stood at attention.While thus waiting the boys glanced at the inclinometer and at thedirection indicator.

  "See it swing back and forth," said Alfred. "It seems to act queerly."

  "Not at all," replied the captain. "Evidently we are chasing a shipwhich is zig-zagging, as we did, for the direction dial is constantlymoving."

  While thus conversing they were startled by the signal of four bells.One of the men, reaching forward, touched a button, and the signal couldbe heard in the conning tower. That was, evidently, to inform thecommander there that all was in readiness. Everything was expectancynow. The ship still manoeuvered.

  Then, without a warning of any kind, there was a singular dull sound,which seemed to shake the submarine from stem to stern.

  "They have fired it," said Alfred.

  "And they are putting in another one."

  "If I am not mistaken it is the last one they have," suggested thecaptain.

  "Why do you think so?" asked Alfred.

  "I notice that all the cylinders with the open ends are withouttorpedoes, and you will notice that the one they are now putting in isthe last one with the closed end," responded the captain.

  "I am glad they haven't any more of them," said Ralph.

  Three bells again sounded; the officer at the gun responded, and duringthe next two minutes of suspense, the boys were quiet, waiting for thenext shot. It soon came; the ship shook as before, the breach blockopened, the shell behind the torpedo was extracted, the door closed andthe men stood at attention.

  When the officer, who had handled the torpedoes, walked down the stepsfrom the conning tower, the boys noticed him shake his head sadly.

  "Did you notice that?" asked the captain.

  "Do you mean the way he shook his head?" said Alfred.

  "Yes; I am curious to get your views about that action of the officer,"remarked the captain.

  "That is, why he shook his head?" interjected Ralph.

  "Yes," answered the captain. "Do you think he looked discouraged becausethe shot failed in its mission, or because it went home successfully?That is the problem."

  The boys were quiet for a few moments. Ralph was the first to speak:"Well, I'll bet the torpedo didn't hit the ship, and he feels cut upover it, as it was the last one they had."

  "I don't agree with you," rejoined Alfred. "It struck the ship and sunkit, and the fellow feels so badly about it that he shook his head theway he did when he thought of the suffering it caused. Don't you agreewith me?" said Alfred, addressing the captain.

  The captain could not repress a slight laugh as: he answered: "I mustconfess you advance good arguments in both directions; but really, I amof the opinion that either torpedo didn't get in its work."

  "Why do you think the first one failed?"

  "If the first one had succeeded, they would not have shot the second,would they?" replied the captain.

  "No; I don't think they would, seeing they had only one more left,"remarked Ralph. "But why do you think the last one was no moresuccessful?"

  "I infer it from the following circumstances: It takes, on an average, aminute for a torpedo to reach its mark, after it leaves the torpedotube. The officer in the tower is in a position where he can see theeffect of the shot. If the torpedo struck, however favorable the blow,it would take at least fifteen or twenty minutes for the ship to godown. Sometimes the bulkheads will keep the ship afloat an hour or more.In fact, there are records of ships which have been torpedoed, that wereactually towed into harbors and saved," answered the captain.

  "But I do not see how that is any sign that the torpedo missed," repliedAlfred inquiringly.

  "Probably you did not notice the period that elapsed after the lastshot, and the time the officer
came down the tower hatch?" remarked thecaptain.

  "No, I did not observe," replied Alfred.

  "You remember, do you not, that as soon as the last torpedo waslaunched, the officer went up into the conning tower, and that within aminute, or not exceeding two minutes, he again came down the stairway,and shook his head in such a disconsolate manner?" continued thecaptain.

  "Well, yes; you may be right in that," responded Alfred.

  "Then, I inferred this," said the captain, "that the lieutenant had hadample opportunity to observe whether or not the shot went home, and, asit had not landed, he reported to the officer the failure. If the shothad struck he would have known it before the officer left the conningtower to come down. Do you get my idea?" asked the captain.

  "That seems to answer the question, to my mind, that it wasn't a hit,"said Ralph.

  "Well, it doesn't quite satisfy me," replied Alfred. "The lieutenantmight have told him that the shot hit the ship, and that it was goingdown, and that's what made him feel so badly about it."

  The captain could not help feeling amused at Alfred's argument, as hereplied: "I must admit that your view is logical, and I am also willingto assent that the question is one, which, in the absence of actualknowledge, could be settled in one way only."

  "How is that?" asked Ralph.

  "By knowing the mental condition and attitude of the officer who camedown the hatchway. If he happened to be a humane person he would regretthe loss of life, and show it, probably, by his actions. On the otherhand, if he should be devoid of the finer feelings, and be a mere slaveto duty, it is more than likely that he would shake his headdiscouragingly, to learn that the torpedo failed in its mission," wasthe captain's final word on the subject.

  "Now that they are out of torpedoes, what do you suppose they will do?"asked Ralph.

  "Go home; I suppose," replied Alfred.

  "Unless they have a base somewhere on the coast," replied the captain.

  "Where is the most likely place for such a base?" asked Ralph.

  "That is the enigma, of course. It has been believed that the Germanshave a base somewhere along the northern coast of Spain," said thecaptain.

  "What are the reasons for thinking so?" asked Alfred.

  "One of them is that some of the Spaniards are said to be more or lessfriendly to the Germans, and, furthermore, there are few ports orharbors on the north coast, hence the shipping to Spain in the southernwaters of the Bay of Biscay is very small, a condition which would helpto keep a base along the coast line at one or more points."

  "But we ought to know in the next day or two whether they have such abase," said Ralph.

  "Yes; it will be the opportunity now for us to make some observationwhich will tell us whether we are going to Germany, or not," said thecaptain with a grin.

  Situated, as they were, below decks, with no instruments but thedirection indicator, and the inclinometer in sight, it was impossible tojudge of the direction they were going, for it was evident that thesubmarine was now moving ahead at full speed.

  "It will be, probably, twenty-four hours before we are able to get anyinformation as to our destination," said the captain.

  "Do you intend to ask some of the men?" inquired Alfred.

  "No; that would be fruitless. It is not at all likely they will ventureany information upon a subject of that character," replied the captain.

  "Then how would it be possible to learn anything about where we aregoing?" asked Ralph.

  "We are now somewhere in the Bay of Biscay, and I infer that we must beabout a hundred and fifty miles from the Spanish coast. To reach that atthe rate we are going, would take at least ten hours, for I assume thatthe vessel is capable of at least ten miles an hour. Then, we must takeinto consideration the possible meeting with vessels, in which case wemust submerge, and thus go much slower," said the captain.

  "Then, if they have a base anywhere along the coast we ought to be therebefore tomorrow at this time?" ventured Alfred.

  "That is exactly what I mean," answered the captain.