St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-11
Scientific.
THE NAUTILUS.

The New York Courier says that
Major Sears has invented a machine
called the Nautilus, which entirely SUI
lpercedes the necessity for the use of
the old cumbrous and inefficient appll-
ances in Submarine operations and
on Thursday, in response to invitations
from the American Nautilus and Sub.
marine Company, large number OF
merchants and scientific gentlemen
took an excursion to witness the ope-
rations Of one of the Nautilus Ma
chimes. On the way to the Cove, Ma
Tor Sears made an address to the
guests, aud by means of working mod
els explained the principles of the in
vention. The speaker illustrated its
capabilities for performing Submarine
operations of any kind, and at the close
OF his remarks was roundly cheered.
After the discussion of fine COLA
ton, a company of officers, deputed by
the U. S. Navy Department at Wash
ington, descended in the Nautilus
While under water they hitched on a
block of stone weighing 5 tons and
containing SO cubic feet, returning
with it to the surface in minutes 80
2 seconds After moving through the
water about 80 feet, they descended
again, deposited the stone, and return
ed to the surface, having been in the
bell minutes 81 seconds. After this
trip, ladies and gentlemen descended
a dozen together, and expressed them
selves highly gratified with their ex-
perience.
The apparatus is a combination of
reservoir, charged with condensed
~ air by steam air pump, stationed at
the surface, and connected by flexible
hose with the Nautilus, which is in the
water. The apparatus may be in va
rious forms the present is an invert-
ed truncated cone with spherical top.
1t is about ten feet in diameter at the
largest part, and eight feet in height.
1t is made entirely Of boiler iron of
great thickness. 1t is independent of
suspension, and floats at the will of
the operator There are chambers on
both sides Of the machine into which
water is admitted when it is desired to
sink the machine. By opening valve
at the top, connected with the hose
from the reservo;r, air is admitted of
sufficient density to counter-balance
the density of the water outside. The
requisite density is determined by
proper gauges placed in the side of the
operating chamber.
In order to lift weights, bar with
swivelhook is passed across the bot
tom. Affixing this hook to stone or
other weight, the water-valves are
opened, and condensed air from the
reservoir is admitted to the chambers.
This expulsion of water, exercises a
lifting power exactly equal to the
weight of the water expelled. AS
soon as the object is lifted from the
bottom, movement may be made in
any direction to deposit the weight,
and water again is admitted
The connection with the air reser-
voir being always closed, except when
air is being admitted, the air previous
,ly admitted is allowed to escape by a
valve arranged for the purpose. The
water being again admitted as stated,
causes the apparatus to sink and the
weight to be deposited. The perfect
command which the operator has over
the movements Of the Nautilus, per-
mits the deposit to be made with the
greatest nicely.
AS steam cannot be carried under
water, air of the same density, it is
found, may be used as motive pow
er below the surface, and applied to
the working of rock drills, saving of
piles, &c, by a small engine inside the
operating chamber, to which the con-
densed air is carried by hose in the
same manner as steam is carried from
the steam boiler to the cylinder. By
an arrangement of a chamber upon
the side of the Nautilus, holes may be
bored in the timbers of sunken ship,
in which eye bolts may be Subsequent
ly placed--to which camels or pom
toons may be attached, which being
subsequently filled with powerfully
condensed air from the reservoir, will
raise the vessel. The lifting force is
incredible.
The Nautilus is also available in lay
ing masonry under water The amount
OF masonry laid bythe ordinary diving
bell, averages four hundred and fifty
cubic feet per day. There may be laid
with the Nautilus thirty-fve hundred
cubic feet day--at a cost of thirty.
five dollars, which is considerably less
than the ordinary cost of masonry laid
out of water.
By the aid Of the Nautilus the topo-
graphy of the bottom of bays and riv-
ers can be ascertained with ease, the
heaviest masonry for sea walls and
Notifications laid without difficulty,
and sunken vessels of large tonnage,
may be speedily brought to the sur.
face.
The Nautilus itself costs about four
thousand dollars, but for the engines
and other appliances all complete, six
or seven thousand dollars will be re-
quired.