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Page 35
"She goes! She goes!" cried Tom
"She certainly does, if I may be permitted to say so," was
the calm contribution of Captain Weston. "I congratulate
you."
Faster and faster went the new craft. Mr. Swift headed her
toward the open sea, but stopped just before passing out of
the creek, as he was not yet ready to venture into deep
water.
"I want to test the auxiliary propellers," he said. After
a little longer trial of the electric propulsion plates,
which were found to work satisfactorily, sending the
submarine up and down the creek at a fast rate, the screws,
such as are used on most submarines, were put into gear.
They did well, but were not equal to the plates, nor was so
much expected of them.
"I am perfectly satisfied," announced Mr. Swift as he once
more headed the boat to sea. "I think, Captain Weston, you
had better go below now."
"Why so?"
"Because I am going to completely submerge the craft. Tom,
close the conning tower door. Perhaps you will come in here
with us, Captain Weston, though it will be rather a tight
fit."
"Thank you, I will. I want to see how it feels to be in a
pilot house under water."
Tom closed the water-tight door of the conning tower. Word
was sent through the tube to the engine-room that a more
severe test of the ship was about to be made. The craft was
now outside the line of breakers and in the open sea.
"Is everything ready, Tom?" asked his father in a quiet
voice.
"Everything," replied the lad nervously, for the
anticipation of being about to sink below the surface was
telling on them all, even on the calm, old sea captain.
"Then open the tanks and admit the water," ordered Mr.
Swift.
His son turned a valve and adjusted some levers. There was
a hissing sound, and the Advance began sinking. She was
about to dive beneath the surface of the ocean, and those
aboard her were destined to go through a terrible experience
before she rose again.
Chapter Eleven
On the Ocean Bed
Lower and lower sank the submarine. There was a swirling
and foaming of the water as she went down, caused by the air
bubbles which the craft carried with her in her descent.
Only the top of the conning tower was out of water now, the
ocean having closed over the deck and the rounded back of
the boat. Had any one been watching they would have imagined
that an accident was taking place.
In the pilot house, with its thick glass windows, Tom, his
father and Captain Weston looked over the surface of the
ocean, which every minute was coming nearer and nearer to
them.
"We'll be all under in a few seconds," spoke Tom in a
solemn voice, as he listened to the water hissing into the
tanks.
"Yes, and then we can see what sort of progress we will
make," added Mr. Swift. "Everything is going fine, though,"
he went on cheerfully. "I believe I have a good boat."
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