The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 22, 1897, Page 18

RANCISCO i, SU DAY, AUGUST 22, 189 HE LATEST IDEA FOR SUBMARINE WARFARE It Is a Bicycle to (o Beneath the Waves and Attach Jorpedoes to the Doomed Ironclads Which Gross lts 2.—The most| ion of thede- | rench Govern- | PARIS, FRaNcE, Au; astonishing bicycle inv. cade has been offered the The tender is made in good faith | ment. as an idea that will revolutionize sub- | marine warfare, but there are those among naval experts who declare the scheme chimerical. This newest of queer inventions is a submarine bieycle, bub its purpose is deadly, for it is intended to aet as an agent for the destruction of warships. The inventor says there can be no fail- ures, and a few people profess to adopt his | views, but the French Government is by no mears convinced of the practicality of Suli the man of genius, whose name is M. Jean Cheramy, is possessed of a little moneyand will, he says, spend a considerable portion of his capital in buil sized model of his inven- and thus crush all opposition by an of stubbora facts. They lavghed at ton when he invented the steamboat, says the Frenchman; Edison was consid- ered insane. Why should he exnect to | escape more easily or avoid being termed | a crack brain? The inventor is a shrewd sort of a chap, | cracked though he may be. i: wise enough to keep many tails of his machine to himself. He has his main idea all planned out even to the minutest aetail. Therefore, he cannot be accused of trying tos und a If de- veloped idea with mystery. The man has been interviewed in order to judge if there were any possibility of his remarkable statements having at least a basis of fact, the idea. - SOME SIDE LIGHTS ON | DIPLOMACY'S | SPECTACULAR PLAY. | If aiplomacy consists in successful in- trigue on beha!f of the Government and of Fatherland, as Machiavelli would have | us believe, then assurealy there are few greater masters in the art than M. Zino- vi ff, whose -name though comparative!y unknown to the general pubiic is cele- brated in Goverament circles throughout the world as that oi quite the cleverest diplomat in the service of the Czar. No- where does the mention of his nume give rise to greater uneasiness than at the For- | eign and Indian offices in London, as well as at the Government-house, Calcutta, where he is credited with a large share of | the responsibility for the present alarming | condition of affair< in India, and under the circumstances the news just received | of his appointment 10 the postof Musco- vite Embas-ador at Constantinople u’ extremely siznificant. It bodes il for the Sultan, for Great Britain, for Austria and for what is known ¢s the European con- cert. For wherever this arch-intriguer— s0 fertile in resource, so untiringly active | and so utterly devoid of scruples—makes | his appearance trouble iz sure to follow. Indeed, he may be descrited asa species | of Russian slorm petral. | The Ministry of Foreign Affairsat St. | Petersburg consists of two great divisions, the one known as the European Depart- ment, and which is devo ed to the direc- tion of the diplomatic reiation between the Government of the Czar and all West- ern powers, including the United States, the South American republics, while the other isknown as the Asiatic division. The latter is far and away the most important of ihe two, at ary rate in Russian eyes, For it has charge rot only of Muscovite interests througbout Asia, and also in Abyssinia, as well as in Egypt. but like. | marine machines to desiroy to consider. | Asiatic di | deference to the commands of Russia that | and at sea. | character. Pathway in the Deep. Itis not too much to say that there are certainly some elements of genius in what | he has accomplished. Whether his com- | plete pian will be at all practical, remains | to be seen. It is beyond doubt, thous that he will at least contribute some very interesiing suggestions for iuventors of This creator of unique ideas was in- clized to look upon ali visitors with sus- picion, but when he learned I was an American, his demeanor changed at once, | and he said ne was inclined to make an exception in my case, and tell me a little about his submarine bicycle for the destruction of ships by means of torpe- does. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? That is what I thought. Wait and see what you think after I have told you what the inventor told m . I changed my mind a trifle. This is what he said: The machine is shaped justas a cigar would be if it were three-cornered. It is arranged for four riders, who sit in the same fashion that two do on a tandem. They are not directly above the top cen- ter of the machine, but rather at one of the sides. 7he method of locomotion has three parts, coisisting of a slab-shaped paddle, one on each side, and z screw at arudder. The main boiv of the hine | is formed of 1ron, steel and aluminum, It | is really in two sections, though it appears to be in but one. Tiny driving rods connect the gearing of the machine with the rear wheels, so that when the riders do not care to oper- ate the machine by means of the paddles each presses a spring which isattached to the frame of the machine just below the handle-bars, This opens a valve which permits the entry of compress | wise keeps a watchful eye on all the vass:] rulers of Central Asia, besides keeping hand the threads of the intricate network ! of intrigue Iy means of which the Czar’s | Government rcmains in touch with the | Ameer of Afghanistan, snd with almost every native ruler and chief of any im- portance in British India. For a number of years past—inaeed, for | more then two decades—Zinovieff has | been the chicf and moving spirit of this | on of the St. Petersburg | Foreign Office, and althiough in the in-| terval he has acted for a time as Minister at Teberan, and more recently still as En- | voy at Stockholm, yet be has never really | abandoned its belm. Indeed, it is to him | more than to any one else that Emperor ‘, Nicholas is indebied for the phenomenal success achieved without the striking of a single blow in China, in Persia, in Korea | and even in Jop1n, since it was solely in the Mikado arrested the march of his annies upon Peking, surrendering what | were practically the principal fruits of the victories which he had won both by land A few years ago Russia acquired the conviction that Germany had succeeded in concluding some kind of a secret treaty or military convention with King Oscar of Sweden with the object of closing the Baltic to the entrance or egress of Musco- vite cruisers in the event oi a wor between Russia and Germany. True, there is the Baltic and North Sea canal. But thut is in the hands of the German Government, and would be naturally unavailable for Russian ships under circumstances of that This understanding between Sweden and Germany, which is based not only upon a community of interests, polit- ical as wall as economic, between the two nations, but also upon close ties of kins- manship between the families of King Oscar and of Emperor William, is a mat- ter of very serious importance to Russia; for Oscar, besides holaing the keys to the entrance of the Baltic in his hands, is ibe next-door neighbor of Rus<ia along a {frontier which extends some 500 miles. Realizing that it was necessary to take some steps at once to counteract the effects of this deal between the courts of Stockholm and Berlin the Russian Gov- ernment dispateched M. Zinovieff to Swe- den as Minister Plenipotentiazy. Zino- vieff was guick to take advantage of the discontent and bitterness that prevaiied in Norway against not only the Swedish nation but also against the Swedish Gov- ernment and the Swed ish reigning family. His entire energies were devoted to fo- menting this feeling of Norwegian dis- loyalty to King Oscar, knowing full well ernment in the event of war with Russia were Norway to decline to follow himin | that direction, To what extent he suc- ! ceeded is shown by the facc that never | bave the relations between these two | sister kingdoms of Scandinavia been so strained as during the last two years, the probability of an armed conflict between Norway and Sweden b - ing openly discussed In the newspapers of the two countries, while King Oscer’s son actually made public mention some time ago of his readiness to lead a Swedish | army into Norway, for which uiterance | the Christiania Parliament straightway proceeded to dock the share which the Norwegian treasury had until then con- | tributed toward his allowance. Bjornson, | the popular Norwegian patriot, play wright and poet, after challenging Kine O-car 1o | fight a duel, has found refuge at St. Peters- burg, whence every week he launches tne most eloguent and impassioued attacks{ upon the Stockhoim Government and the King, inciting his countrymen to rise against Swedish tyranny, assuring them ot the protection and friend-hip of Russia, To-day all the Norwegian statesmen and political leaders look to St. Peters- burg for support and inspiration, and are just as firmly determined to associate themselves with the cause of Russia should the latfer find herself invoived in war with Germany as Sweden is resolved to ally herself with Emperor Wiliiam. Indeed, it is pretty well known at St Petersburg that the very first move taken by King Oscar against Iussia in the direc- tion of closing the entrance oi the Baltic, or of invading the ill-defended grand duchy of Finland, would be followed by a revolution at Christiania and the procla- mation of a Norwegiun republic under the protection of Russia, and in all probability the declaration by Norway of war against Sweden. This is what M. Zinovieff has achieved during his stay at Stockholm and Christiania, and it is probable that he has carried away with him from there some sort of a secret convention between his Government and the Norwegian leaders . -0 ~ REZVR ) alges e .nr,_v‘u‘ 2 v » that the latter wouald be unable to fulfill his encagement toward the German Gov- tiie stern, which at the sume time acts as | | to Constantinople shows that the Czar is | vursued there by M. de Nelidoff; that | phorus, which, in view of the antecedents { velept “'the Concart of Europe.” | a Rus 'flm@@L - nr Tl it el 4y oy I 2 J ol Vitpaesy, 2N \\‘NT{J - STAMBOUL HAS PROVED To BE THE GRAVE-YARD OF THE REFUTATION OFMANY AN EMINENT RUSSIAN D/PLOMAT air which is stored in one of the halves of the machine. Thiscompressea air acts as |8 motive power and sets the wheels in | motion. The riders of the machine are clad in ight suits of diving armor, the supply of being secured from a reservoir that is | carried on tneir backs, after the fashion |of a knapsack. Thus equipped, they to constitute the counterpart of King Os- car’s treaty with Emperor William. That Zinovieff shoald now be appointed | thoroughly dissatisfied with the course e does not relish the manner in which the Russian Embassador, along with his col- leagues, bas been rendered ridiculous by the Sultan and made the laughing stock of the world, civilized and uncivilized, and, above ali, that he is resolved upon the in- auguration of a new policy on the Bos- of Znovieff, can only be one of action. it 1s probable that from henceforth we shall hear precious little .about that thor- oughly discredited and declasses female Bat it will be just as well to keep a cloce watch upon Constantinople. For before long Turkey and its rulers will either be re- duced to the most abjsct and subservient hand. The entire wire is, of course, ‘nn- lated after the manner of a tiny ocean cable. Once the torpedo is in place and the wire made fasi, the submarine b.cy- clists move away from the vessel to any desired disiance, or, if she happ to be moving, keep themselves as 1 sible in the same position until t length of wire has bzen played out Thnen the electric current is turr and an explosion follows. One think that the submarine bicyclists would find it very difficult to carry about with them a sufficient quantity of wire to en- drive the machine beneath the surface of the water at any desired” depth, and steer direcily to that portion of the objct of attack to which it is intended to fasten the torpedo. The idea is, as a rule, t_ha inventor says, to fasten the explos:_ve dgirectly upon the keel of the vessel, in the manner shown in the accompanying illustration. This done, an electric wire is attached to the end of thetorpedo, the other end of which is fastened to #n electric battery upon the machine. The wire, or ragher the vast amount of slack thereof, is coiled so that one of the divers can hold it in his between themselves and the vessel against which their coperations have been direct- ed, but the inventor is very positive that this can be easily done. He says he has figured the torcs of the explosion upon the water and is confident that by allow- ing themselves to sink a short distance the operators of the submarine engine of destruction will almost entirely avoid th shock which they would ordinarily feel a the result of the explosion. CuquE. THEY BOW AND Peace ammunition tnatare being shipped all the time from Russia to Servia and Monte- neero, while Prince Ferdinand of Bul- garia has just placed a coiossal order for war material of the same kind in France and in Germany. Nor should mention be omitted of the purely strategic railroad which the Russian Government is quietly constructing from 1ts southern province of Bessorabia through Servia to Monte- negro, touching at Citlenje and having its terminus at the Monienegrin port of Antevari, on the Adriatic. Of course, it is just possible, though nardly probable, that Zinovieff may prove a failure at Constantinop.e and a disap- pointment to his sovereign; for strangely enough Siamboul has proved the grave- yard to the reputation of many an em- inent Russian diplomat. i It was the inconceivable stupidity of Prince Menchikoff in the early fifties at Constantinople that involved his country in what is known as the Crimean War, from the effects of which it has scarcely yeteven recovered. so crushing was the defeat which it sustained. He was suc- ceeded by the late Prince Lobanoff, who was indiscreet enouzh to elope with the wife of the French Chares ¢’ Affaires, add- ing injury to insult by subsequently plug- vassalage 1o the Czar or else popular dis- turbances will take place in various por- tio ns of the Ot:oman empire, possibly resulting in the deposition of the Sultan and, in any case, of suffi- cient gravity to render excusable ian invasion of Turkish territory on the pretext of humanity. That some- thing of thiis kind is on the cards is ap- puarent from the immense quan- tity of Russian arms, ord- nance and | 2 i i M. ’ ST 1 W) L ! \ L NowHERE 0OES THE MENTION OF " THE NAME OF M.ZINQVIEFF GlE FISE TOMORE UNEASINESS THAN AT ThE UREIGH AND INDIAN OFFICES In { onDone.” BEFORE DIPLOMACY LOVE INTRIGUE Astute Old Diplomats Who Press a Button to Move an Empire, and Hold the of Europe in Their Private Offices. ging bis unfortunate colleague with a | therefrom after the death of hisenchan. pistol bullet in a dumel at Nice. This | tress, he himself dying a counle of year necessitated the withdrawal into private | ago as Chancellor of the Russian empir. Ex-ATTACHE. ife of the Prince, who only emerged 4 R ) TURKEy, e | et : “ N FRANC' N o -/.‘““"H&‘; Yl Gk GREA @3:25 TERS 0F) THE ART OF OIPLOMACY THAN. M.ZINOV IEFF. I -4 2= THERE 15 LIKELY TO BE a 7 TUSSIAN INVASION INTO TURKEY UNLESS THE SULTAN USEsS A OIFFFRENT BRAND OF D1pL OMACY might able them to place a sufficient distance 4 1