The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-11-29
New SUBMARINE MAcatNE.-Maj. Sears,

New SUBMARINE MACHtNE.-Maj. Sears
formerly Of the ARMY, has invented a ma
chine for submarine explorations and labor,
that will cast the old diving bell entirely
aside. Experiments have been made with il
that fully test its utility. It is called the
Nautilus, and is described as cast-iron globe,
Sn shape of balloon, about ten feet diameter
and seven feet high, and weighs about ten
tons. There are two trap doors-one at tho
top for entrance of the divers, and one at the
bottom, opening upwards which admits the
workman to the bottom of the sea or river,
to do his work. 1t is supplied with air through
hose capable of sustaining a pressure Of
air of 200 lbs. to the inch, enough to lift the
sub, b,marine bell, and whatever may be taken
into it from the bottom to the surface, is made
light and movable under water by the force
of the air in the machine itself and side
chambers. It will accommodate ten or twelve
persons at once and four or five can conve-
niently work together in it. A large party
assembled at the Navy Yard in New York,
last week, to witness and take part in some
experimental operations. One hundred and
sixty of the party went down during the op-
Grafton, forty of whom were ladies', and
among them was the representative of the
New York Herald, who was accompanied by
ten gentlemen and two ladies'. He describes
the operations and capacity of the machine as
follows:
After entering and closing the top Of the
machine water valves are opened, which cause
the Nautilus to sink; air is taken into the
the working chamber until its density is
equal TO that of the water without, the door
of the bottom is then raised in order to
move upon the ground. The operators step
upon the bottom and carry the machine with
them. TO lift stone, hook placed on the
bottom is affixed to the stone, condensed air
is then thrown iuto the water chambers, and
1the water is expelled until the weight of the
'stone is overcome. 1t is then moved in any
direction and, by the readmission of water, is
again deposited
In one of the experiments we saw perform
ed, a stone weighing five tons was lifted, NOV
sed horizontally between twenty and thirty
feet, and then deposited. The time occupied
tin going under water, bringing the stone to
ithe surface (22 feet,) then moving, going down
aand depositing, returning again to the surface,
was only nine and half minutes. The Nau-
titles will lay $500 cubic feet of stone per
diem at cost Of $50, being less, according
to the opinion of engineers, than the cost of
tthe 'slms work upon terra fir ma The aver
aage cost of submarine constructions is 16L
scents the cubic foot, whilst with the Nautilus,
las demonstrated yesterday, it is but one cent.
All other works are in like proportion the
blasting of rocks may be done by it as cheap
fly as in a quarry. Its adaptablity to the ex-
animation of ships bottoms, to determine the
necessity of docking will effect the saving of
hundreds of thousands Of dollars annually
Its utility in pearl, coral and sponge fishing
was remarkably demonstrated. A gentleman
largely engaged in pearl operations in the Pa
cific observed that there was no limit to its
value for that purpose. Pearl shells may lie
gathered by it at the rate Of from two to three
tons per day to each machine; this has been
proved by actual experiment in Panama and
California Shells, according to prices cur
rent are worth from 1856 to $500 ton.
With regard to lifting submerged vessels,
the capacity of the pump demonstrates that
the largest class of ships may be raised within
three hours after attachment is made.