tor produced a craft that came up to
his ideals. The cruise of the _Fulton_ was like a march of triumph, and
proved beyond a doubt that the Holland submarines were practical,
sea-going craft.

At the eastern end of Long Island the captain and crew, six men in all,
one by one entered the _Fulton_ through the round hatch in the conning
tower that projected about two feet above the back of the fish-like
vessel. Each man had his own particular place aboard and definite duties
to perform, so there was no need to move about much, nor was there much
room left by the gasoline motor, the electric motor, storage batteries,
air-compressor, and air ballast and gasoline tanks, and the Whitehead
torpedoes. The captain stood up inside of the conning tower, with his
eyes on a level with the little thick glass windows, and in front of
him was the wheel connecting with the rudder that steered the craft
right and left; almost at his feet was stationed the man who controlled
the diving-rudders; farther aft was the engineer, all ready for the word
to start his motor; another man controlled the ballast tanks, and
another watched the electric motor and batteries.

With a clang the lid-like hatch to the conning tower was closed and
clamped fast in its rubber setting, the gasoline engine began its rapid
phut-phut, and the submarine boat began its long journey down Long
Island Sound. The boat started in with her deck awash--that is, with two
or three feet freeboard or of deck above the water-line. In this
condition she could travel as long as her supply of gasoline held
out--her tanks holding enough to drive her 560 knots at the speed of six
knots an hour, when in the semi-awash condition; the lower she sank the
greater the surface exposed to the friction of the water and the greater
power expended to attain a given speed.

As the vessel jogged along, with a good part of her deck showing above
the waves, her air ventilators were open and the burnt gas of the engine
was exhausted right out into the open; the air was as pure as in the
cabin of an ordinary ship. Besides the work of propelling the boat,
the engine being geared to the electric motor made it revolve, so
turning it into a dynamo that created electricity and filled up the
storage batteries.

[Illustration: LAKE'S SUBMARINE TORPEDO-BOAT _PROTECTOR_
This boat is designed to travel on the surface, or fully submerged, or
on the ocean's bottom. She is provided with wheels that support he