MR. MELVILLE HURLS THE CRASH
It was really a wonderful, even if a very simple, revolution in the
handling of submarine boats that Jack Benson had thought out.
Up to that time many scores of lives had been lost, in different parts
of the world, when the crews of submarine boats had found, for one reason
or another, that they could not raise their craft from the bottom of the
depths. Formerly, when crews found themselves placed in that
predicament, death followed.
Jack's solution was wonderfully simple. In brief, when the "Pollard" lay
on the bottom of the little harbor at Dunhaven, the young captain had
crawled into the long tube through which torpedoes were to be discharged
in war time.
One end of this torpedo tube projects slightly into the water, at the
bow of the submarine boat. The other end of the tube is well inside the
craft. Two doors, or "ports," as they are called, close the tube at the
ends. Ordinarily the forward port is closed, to keep water from
entering the boat. When a torpedo is placed in the tube for firing, the
outer or forward port is opened automatically just at the instant of
discharging the torpedo. Enough compressed air is turned into the tube
to force the torpedo out, after which the torpedo goes on its deadly
journey propelled by its own motor. The presence of the air thus turned
into the tube at the instant of firing keeps out the water until the
tube's forward port is once more closed. Then the rear port of the
tube, inside the submarine boat, may be opened whenever it is desired.
Captain Jack Benson, when he reached bottom with the "Pollard," and had
donned his bathing suit, crawled into the tube through the rear port.
This port was then closed. Hal Hastings simultaneously opened the
outer port and discharged compressed air into the tube. Thus Jack
forced his way out into the water, and, with the aid of his natural
buoyancy, made a quick swim for the surface.
In returning, he had dived down, close to the anchor cable. Nearer
the bottom he seized the cable, thus hauling himself down to the outer
port of the torpedo tube. He had quickly crawled into the tube, where
the presence of air still kept the water out. As he knocked heavily
at the rear port with both hands, Hal swiftly turned in a moderate
discharge of compressed air, while Eph, controlling mechanism inside,
swung the forward port shut. Then the rear port was swung back, Captain
Jack crawling back into the forward compartment of the boat.
"The whole trick is rather easy," Jack informed Mr. Farnum, as they
walked that night in the village and discussed the matter in undertones.
"But you were in not more than seventy feet of water there," suggested
the builder. "You couldn't do it at much greater depth."
"At eighty feet of water I could do it," replied Benson, thoughtfully.
"But at a greater depth than eighty feet--?"
"Of course, the deeper one gets, the more tremendous the pressure of the
water is," answered the young captain. "At a depth of a hundred feet,
say, the pressure of the water would be enough to crowd me back into
the tube, crushing my body."
"And killing you," clicked Mr. Farnum.
"Undoubtedly. Yet seventy feet is as deep as one need go. Fifty feet
is far enough below the surface, for that matter. And we have the
splendid little 'Pollard' under such perfect control that we can drop to
fifty feet below the surface, as shown by our submersion gauge, and
keep just at that depth."
"It's all wonderful," cried the boatbuilder. "Jack, you are a genius
at this work!"
"There are some rather big problems to be worked out, in connection with
this new idea," hinted Benson.
"What are the problems?"
"Well, in observing a stretch of water, for the position or approach of
a hostile battleship, it might be necessary for the swimmer to go up
several times."
"Yes--?"
"That would call for a very considerable use of compressed air."
"Naturally."
"So, in the boat now building, Mr. Farnum, I think Mr. Pollard and
yourself should provide for the carrying of greater quantities of
compressed air. For, when a submarine is below, you must always have
reserve tanks of compressed air to be used in bringing the boat to the
surface. Of course, once on the surface, with the motor going, more
compressed air can be quickly stored."
"You've been doing some busy thinking, Jack," spoke Mr. Farnum,
approvingly.
"I haven't been doing it all, sir," was Benson's quick reply. "Hal and
Eph have been talking it all over with me."
"The Melvilles are very anxious to find out how you performed the
seemingly wonderful feat of leaving the submerged boat and then returning
to it."
"Are you going to tell them, sir."
"Not, at any rate, until I've taken more time to think about it. Yet,
you understand, Jack, I can't be too offish with them. They are able
to control the investment of a good deal of money, and that money I am
afraid we are going to need if we are to go as steeply as we'd like
into the building of submarines."
Jacob Farnum, it will be remembered, had married Grace Desmond, an
heiress. Her affairs were not yet fully settled through the probate
court, but she would presently be entitled to about a half million
dollars in her own right. To many it would have seemed that, with a
wife so rich, the inventor would not have to look far to find abundant
capital. Jacob Farnum, however, knew the hazards that surround even
the best conducted business concerns, and he had determined that not
a penny of his young wife's fortune should be risked in his own ventures.
In other words, it was a point of honor with him not to take the
slightest risk of involving his wife's private fortune.
The following morning David Pollard was on hand, in response to a
telegram from his friend. Things were now about in shape for final
discussion between Melville, the builder and the inventor.
In the private inner office of the shipyard the group of those most
interested gathered. Jacob Farnum seated himself beside his desk,
Pollard taking a chair close by. Lawyer Demarest, with a pile of
impressive looking documents before him, sat at a large flat-top desk.
Melville, senior, and two business friends, sat a little apart, while
Don Melville stood behind his father.
"I will say, in beginning," commenced George Melville, in his smoothest,
blandest tones, "that we have talked so far, you and I, Mr. Farnum, only
in general terms. We will now come to the definite proposition under
which my friends and myself are willing to contribute the share of new
capital that you want in your business."
"That is what I most want, before we go any further," assented Mr. Farnum.
"I will say, however, that I have in mind a proposition that I would
like to submit, before we hear from your side."
"I am listening," nodded Mr. Melville, suavely.
"We have already decided," continued Mr. Farnum, "that my boat yard, with
all its equipment, and including the ownership of the 'Pollard,' may be
fairly rated at three hundred thousand dollars."
"That is quite true," nodded Mr. Melville. "That figure is in accordance
with the estimates made by our expert accountant."
"In the boat itself," continued Jacob Farnum, "my friend Pollard has a
stated amount of interest. To come quickly to the point, then, I propose
that Pollard and myself, with the aid of a necessary third party--my
superintendent, Partridge, for instance--form a stock company with a
capital stock of three hundred thousand dollars. Then the six hundred
and fifty thousand dollars that you and your associates are to advance,
Mr. Melville, may be secured by an issue of bonds, which the company
will secure authority to issue. These bonds will bear the unusually high
interest of seven per cent., and this interest, of course, will have to
be paid before any dividend can be declared on the capital stock of the
company. That will retain the control of the company in my hands, and
in Pollard's, and that is what we want."
"Yet do you expect that it will be easy to secure such an understanding
with capital?" inquired Mr. Melville, easily. "The proposition amounts
to this: That you put in the smaller amount of capital, and yet expect to
reap the greater profits."
"By no means," replied Jacob Farnum, seriously. "We have demonstrated
the value of our type of boat, and we have some valuable knowledge and
ideas that cannot be appraised in dollars. So, though our amount of
material capital is less than you and your associates would contribute,
we feel that we are bringing to the enterprise the larger share."
"I see your point," nodded Mr. Melville, pleasantly. "Yet there is much
to be discussed from _our_ side."
So the contest was on--the quiet, polite battle that is as old as
capital itself. The men who contribute the money expect the control of
the business; the men who contribute the ideas and knowledge expect,
capital to be satisfied with a good return on its money.
Both sides were silent for awhile. The lawyer, tapping a pencil against
his lips, knew that George Melville did not intend to go into the
enterprise on any arrangement that did not allow him to gain business
control swiftly and surely.
"We have much to discuss, along these lines," pursued Mr. Melville, in
his smoothest tones and with his friendliest air. "But I have no doubt
at all, Mr. Farnum, that we shall presently reach a basis that will be
wholly agreeable to both sides."
Which, on the contrary, was what the capitalist knew to be impossible.
Melville found himself wishing that something else would come into the
conversation, in order to get the boatbuilder's mind briefly away from
the main proposition.
Steps were heard, at this moment, in the outer office, and then the faces
of Jack and Hal appeared close to the glass in the door. Eph was not far
behind them.
"Oh, my crew," nodded Mr. Farnum, looking up. "You remember our
experiment, the other day, of having a man leave the boat while under
water? Some other problems have come up in that connection. So I sent
word to the young men, asking them to step over to the office as soon as
convenient. I guess they did not quite understand, and were busy at the
time, so that they have come over a little too late. I will step to the
door, and so inform them."
Here was the diversion for which Mr. Melville had just been wishing.
"Don't dismiss them, please," urged the capitalist. "On the contrary,
will you be good enough to ask them to step in here? There is something
that it might be as well to make clear before them."
Bowing slightly, as he rose, Jacob Farnum stepped to the door, opening
it.
"Come right in, boys," he requested. "Mr. Melville wishes to say
something before you."
Each of the three submarine boys felt a quick throb at the heart. All
had a suspicion that a blow might be about to fall. So they stepped
inside, halting not far from Mr. Farnum's desk, and turning to face the
Melville group.
Mr. Melville cleared his throat before he began:
"In the reorganization of affairs here, my investing friends and myself
will be obliged to expect that the command of the 'Pollard' submarine
boat will pass to my son, who will actively represent our group. My son,
Don, will have charge and knowledge of the boat, its successors, and of
all new ideas tried aboard, and he will safeguard, so far as may be
necessary our interests. It is possible, however, that he may find it
advisable to employ some or all of the present crew. That will, of
course, be for him to decide in the near future."