The Submarine Boys' Lightning Cruise: The Young Kings of the Deep

In Short

Set in the competitive world of early twentieth-century submarine development, The Submarine Boys' Lightning Cruise follows teenage captain Jack Benson and his loyal chums, Hal Hastings and Eph Somers, as they put their Pollard-built submersible craft through rigorous government tests and trials. When a rival firm led by the unscrupulous John C. Rhinds and his secretary Fred Radwin resorts to sabotage—including a near-fatal automobile crash and a clandestine attack using an illicit fifth torpedo—the young crew must combine cool-headed courage with technical mastery to clear their name and win the day. The book has endured as a brisk, action-packed relic of juvenile adventure fiction that captures the technological fascination of an emerging naval age.

The Story

The narrative opens at the Farnum shipbuilding yards in Dunhaven, where seventeen-year-old Captain Jack Benson and Hal Hastings inspect a shed packed with guncotton-laden Whitehead torpedoes before meeting Lieutenant Frank Danvers of the U.S. Navy. Tasked with rigorous trials, the submarine boys prepare their vessels, the Benson and the Hastings, for a series of competitive exercises against rival boats built by the Rhinds Submarine Company. Right away, tensions flare between the honest Farnum team and their slick, untrustworthy competitors, John C. Rhinds and Fred Radwin.

During the preliminary trials, Jack and his crew encounter sunken hulks, navigate icy winter waters, and demonstrate the practical mechanics of firing dummy and live torpedoes. Meanwhile, the villains attempt to undermine the Pollard crew through deceit, luring Jack into a dark alleyway with a false report about Eph Somers, and later tampering with an automobile axle to cause a devastating wreck that injures innocent bystanders, including shipbuilder David Pollard.

Despite these malicious obstacles, the submarine boys excel during the official speed and maneuverability tests, outstripping Rhinds's boat, the Zelda, in a grueling run. Driven by a desire for justice after discovering evidence of foul play and a missing fifth torpedo, Jack and his allies push forward to locate a dangerous half-sunken derelict at sea. In a tense climax, Jack maneuvers his craft under immense engine strain to torpedo the obstruction first, securing a decisive victory for the Pollard company.

The aftermath brings swift retribution for the antagonists. A naval board investigation, aided by congressional inquiries, inspects Rhinds's boat, the Thor, and confirms suspicions of illegal operations. Radwin vanishes under a cloud of exposure, while Rhinds faces financial ruin, creditors seizing his company's vessels, and public disgrace. The story concludes with David Pollard recovering from his injuries and the Pollard company triumphantly securing substantial government contracts for eighteen new torpedo boats, honoring the young heroes by naming vessels after them and cementing their status as kings of the deep.

How It Unfolds

• The voyage begins — Jack Benson and Hal Hastings welcome Lieutenant Danvers to the Farnum shipyards and load dummy torpedoes to practice underwater firing maneuvers.
• A rival's dinner — The Farnum party attends a tense dinner hosted by John C. Rhinds, where corporate rivalries simmer beneath polite conversation and alcohol is firmly refused.
• Lured into a trap — False messengers trick Jack into visiting a dark waterfront alley under the pretense that Eph Somers has been injured in a street brawl.
• The speed trials — The submarine fleet races across the bay, and despite the Zelda pushing its limits, the Benson claims a hard-fought victory.
• The sabotaged car — A rented automobile crashes due to a maliciously substituted, unbranded axle, leaving victims injured and exposing a dark plot.
• The final run — Pushed to the brink of dangerous engine overheating, Jack and his crew race toward a sunken derelict to fire the deciding torpedo.
• The board investigates — Naval officers and a congressional investigator search the Thor for evidence of an illegal fifth torpedo, trapping Rhinds in his own web of deceit.

The People

• Jack Benson — The young, level-headed captain of the Benson. He wants to prove the superiority of the Pollard submarine design and outmaneuver his dishonest rivals. Though opposed by treacherous sabotage and deceit, he relies on steady courage and quick thinking, ending the tale as a celebrated hero and commander.
• Hal Hastings — The expert engineer who controls the boat's machinery. He wants to keep the engines running at peak performance without fatal overheating. Standing loyally by Jack through every crisis, he shares equally in the triumph and financial rewards at the end.
• Eph Somers — The steadfast crewmate who manages steering and physical repairs. He wants to maintain precise courses under pressure and help his friends succeed. Unflappable in moments of danger, he ends up with a submarine named in his honor.
• John C. Rhinds — The ambitious head of the rival Rhinds Submarine Company. He wants to secure a monopoly on government contracts by any means necessary. Hindered by his own lack of ethics and poor judgment, he ends up financially ruined, legally cornered, and publicly disgraced.
• Fred Radwin — Rhinds's slick, unscrupulous secretary. He wants to destroy the Pollard team through covert sabotage. Blocked by Jack Benson's constant vigilance, he vanishes when his criminal plots are uncovered, leaving his employer to face the wreckage alone.

In Its Own Voice

"That sign might have been over an air-hole in the ice; or it might have been near rapidly moving shafting and belting in a factory."

This line opens the book, establishing the quiet, industrial atmosphere of the Farnum shipyards and the literal danger of handling high explosives.

"Once upon a time, murmured Hal, we thought there was sufficient danger, just in going out on the ocean in a submarine torpedo craft, and diving below the surface."

Hal reflects on how quickly extreme hazards become routine for boys working in the cutting-edge field of submarine navigation.

"A wizard, as we understand one nowadays, is a mere pretender, a sleight-of-hand man—a jack at cards."

Lieutenant Danvers rejects ordinary labels for the young protagonists during a celebratory dinner, offering them a higher title instead.

What It's Really About

The book explores the intersection of rapid technological progress and human integrity at the dawn of the twentieth century. It contrasts the clean, disciplined mechanics of modern engineering—represented by the precise, cooperative teamwork of the submarine boys—with the corrupt desperation of industrial greed, embodied by Rhinds and Radwin. Beneath the plot of races and naval trials lies a clear moral argument: that true mastery over powerful machines requires self-control, honesty, and mutual trust. Shortcuts, alcohol, and malicious sabotage inevitably collapse under scrutiny, while genuine skill and fair play ultimately earn both professional success and moral vindication.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in early juvenile adventure or maritime history will find this book a fascinating time capsule of 1910 technology and attitudes. It offers a genuine look at how early-century writers imagined the future of naval warfare, filled with authentic period terminology regarding torpedo tubes, guncotton, and early submersibles. Reading it feels like flipping through an old-fashioned boys' adventure magazine, complete with crisp nautical dialogue and high-stakes mechanical problem-solving.

However, contemporary readers should be prepared for certain period limitations. The narrative moves at a leisurely, highly descriptive pace that occasionally repeats plot points, and the sharp division between absolute heroes and mustache-twirling villains lacks modern psychological nuance. Furthermore, the dialogue reflects the formal, sometimes stilted social manners and class assumptions of 1910 America. Those willing to overlook these dated conventions will discover a brisk, engaging story that captures the earnest optimism and mechanical romance of the early submarine age.