# Submarine E-2 and transparent aluminum in 1916

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-e-2-and-transparent-aluminum-in-1916/784738>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 18, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-e-2-and-transparent-aluminum-in-1916/784738 "2017-04-18T21:09:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-e-2-and-transparent-aluminum-in-1916/784738/1 "2017-04-18T21:09:20Z")

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Once again while browsing through old local newspapers I came across an interesting story. I know we have a lot of submarine fans. The article covered the explosion in 1916 of the E-2. It looks like the Edison batteries, which were designed to eliminate chlorine gas problems, gave off too much hydrogen and exploded during charging. A search led to this naval archive page. The interior photos are excellent, well lit and focused they give a great look at an early sub.

[http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08025.htm](http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08025.htm)

If you click on the link that shows Edison seated at a battery, that newspaper also has an article about X-ray tubes. The new tube design focuses the beam instead of just emitting it in all directions. The beam is emitted through a “glass aluminum” window. Scotty - beam down there!

Dennis

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-e-2-and-transparent-aluminum-in-1916/784738/2 "2017-04-19T14:51:00Z")

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Maybe they just meant [Amorphous metal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorphous_metal), sometimes referred to as “metal glass”?

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-e-2-and-transparent-aluminum-in-1916/784738/3 "2017-04-19T15:13:43Z")

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x-ray tubes sometimes used a metal foil “window” to let the rays pass through. Beryllium was a favorite, since it was pretty transparent to x-rays. My copy of George Clark’s 1940 _Applied X-Rays_ has a “midget x-ray tube” with a metal foil (unidentified) through which the x-rays pass. The foil is mounted on a glass plate with a hole in it. I could easily see someone calling this a “glass-aluminum window”.