The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-06-01
.nlnL..-ll. - u


.tI a.l5s.sa.as ss.As.x . = s.Divins- shap" sH q.
An experiment OF new means Of destroying ships
OF war which prepared during the late Holslen dit
6eues terminated dIsasrTously and almost tIagcaiy.
near Kel, in Danish Holsten. We translate from the
MusDite Zeilung, published at Lepse, the following
account OF the enterprise, and its results q Z
The machine invented by an under officer In the
Schleswe hoIsen army, by the OF Bauer, and was
intended 10 be used in blowing up The Danish ships
which. during the late war, were operating against
Schsswg Holsten. Having perfected his plan, Bauer
laid before the government of SchIeswg Holsten and
ask ed for their aid in building his vessel But they not
naSg a y ~ q ns pan sas
ceeded in obtaining by subscription IN the Scheswg
Hosiea sufficient sum le enable him 10 undertake !e
building Of his ship liz this way the vessel was built al
KEEL and completed in December of that year This won
deru shpwas launched in presence OF agrea number OIL
spectators at the port OF Slape In form resembles
common Yacht except that il is much narrower. tube
ia placed in the fore part OF IL which is provided with
very thick windows and rapdoor for the entrance and
exit OF the men necessary 70 work tne snp me VISIBLE
ship and screw by which II is propelled There are
also in the fore part two gloves Of guia percha protected
by which the director of the diving ship attaches the
powder magazine the vessel intended to be blown up
This ignted from distance by means OF galvanic
wire. The sides well as the deck OF the vessel are
OF iTon An exact description OF the machinery cannot
be gven as the inventor very naturally does not wish to
make il public. 81
On the first trial, the sides OF the ship. well the
pumps, proved quite weaka dtculy which was early
discovered. but which caused by the want OF funds
The first trial successful, however, as Bauer took
not 10 lei his vessel sink Deep being aware that
at the depth oil thirty feet his ship would inevitably De
destroyed by the pressure of the water The particular
object Of the inventorthe blowing up Of the Danish
ships OF prevented at that tme as their ships
left the haIbor on the approach OF the frost
On the first Of February last Bauer made another trial
Of bis vessel and this time he not SO fortunate even
before He descended accompanied by two volunteers
from the Scheswg Holsein navy, at nine O'Clock in the
morning. under water and did not appear again with his
ship After the boats which had accompanied him had
watf inn he
were fred in the hope OF causing il to rse Its
place found after search by dropping lead and
thu depths OF the All possible attempts now
made to lift the diving ship but they proved vain Strong
iron chains and cables were sunk in the water and after
long labor some of them actually made fast by
Bauer but the heavy ship could not be lifted upwards,
and the mutudes from the city, who had assembled IN
boats considered the OF the three unfortunate
as impossible. What Bauer had dreaded had taken place
The pumps, when the vessel had reached the depth OF
thirty feet worked badly, and 1t was foreseen that as
the water or at least become useless What dreaded
was not long deayeda crash followed, and The three
submerged looked upon their tate as certain This
was the most fearful moment, according to Bauers &C
count, OF the whole six hours which he and his compan
ions spent under water. Ie .a...
Fortunately the deck of the ship and the side walls
manned unnjured although an opening was made In the
lower part, by which the water slowly entereda cir
cumstance which saved the three from certain death
The attempts to lift the ship by means OF chains and ca
bles were have reE.arked given up after long and
vain exertons, and nothing remained TO Bauer and his
companions but their efforts. The two str0nges
tried TO open the upper traptoor but in VAIN the
pressure OF the strong TO allow them TO lii
it much inch and there remained but one hope oil
salvation, and this also trial OF their pa
tence II with difficulty that Bauer persuaded his
companions keep quiet, and avoid all useless OF
their strength He could make them satisfied with
his plan, which 10 await quietly the rising Of the
till The pressure Of the air caused by this rising would
be strong enough open the trap-door With the great
cooDess Bauer wrapped himself in his cloak and
NAMED seated in The upper part OF the ship. thai he
might not be chilled by The cold water. When the ship
far filled with water that the three divers stood in
up 10 their necks, and il was almost impossible for
them 10 breathe the condensed Bauer gave the strong
OF his companions the signal TO make attempt To
open the poor. He able to lit 1t with ease, and
carried In the moment by the pressure OF the
air up out OF the opening and thrown upon the surface
OF the water. Bauer and his two companions, who were
almost faning naturally followed and all three reached
the surface OF the in safety, where they were i'm.
medaely received with loud hutrahs from The assembled
multitude and taken into the boats Breathing in the
heavy and remaining the icy cold water had so
hausted ,hem that the two companions of Bauer were
obliged 10 be The hospital; but he needed but
few hours Tepose To be entirely recovered. aft
The heavy diving chip, which weighed seventy thou
sand pounds, still lies forty feet deep in the water and
is very doubtful whether il will be got up The IN
venton, however, may prove valuable one, although
the first trial has failed in consequence OF the defective
construction OF the ship In building another ship which
Bauer 10 still disposed to undertake, he hopes TO remedy
these defecis and be able prove that his invention
will be found useful IN carrying on naval warfare