"
I had, however, been much interested in the things about me.
Forward, the torpedo-discharge tubes and other apparatus about the
little doors in the vessel's nose made it look somewhat like the
shield used in boring a tunnel under compressed air.
"Ordinary torpedo-boats use the regular automobile torpedo,"
remarked Captain Shirley, coming ubiquitously up behind me. "I
improve on that. I can discharge the telautomobile torpedo, and
guide it either from the boat, as we are now, or from the land
station where we were last night, at will."
There was something more than pride in his manner. He was deadly
in earnest about his invention.
We had come over to the periscope, the "eye" of the submarine when
she is running just under the surface, but of no use that we were
below. "Yes," he remarked, in answer to my half-spoken question,
"that is the periscope. Usually there is one fixed to look ahead
and another that is movable, in order to take in what is on the
sides and in the rear. I have both of those.
Pages:
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406