Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-25
MORNING LEADER.
sETURDFY MORNTNG, AFRIL 25, ,68.


-- The supposi ion that the Submarine batI
terry Alligator, lost in a gale Of wind
from the United States steamer Sumter
was one Of the Ericsson devils, IS errone-
GUS It is the same battery that was TAX
en- To the Washin gton Navy J ard last Sum
mer and remained there until few weeks
: -r sCo when Il was toWed TO Fortress Mon
roe on the way to Port Royal where it was
ordered bv the Departmental assist in de-
strovinr or rendering harmless the tOrpe-
does which had been placed in the way OF
our fleet. The AlHgatoris the invention
~ Of a Frenehman in Philadelphia and was
built by company there. who placed 1t IN
charge Of Acting Master Aiken, who took
il TO The Navy Yard and had charge of it
The machine was about thirty feet long
p and six or eight feet In diameter, and with
eonicaI ends Ii was made OF iron, with
the upper part pierced for small circular
plates Of glass, for light, and in it were
several water tight compartments. When
it arrived at Washington there were SIX
teen paddles pFotFuding through the sides
which we're TO be worked By the men in
side but this plan subsequently,
changed, and the paddles were removed
and a propeller substituted, which worked
by crank. By letting the water into the
compartments the machine was submerged,
..---- aud By first calculating the bearings Of
the torpedo or ship on which il was intend
ed 10 work, the operators could approach
sufficiently near to it (the machine being
steered from the inside) to answer the Pur-
pose required it was believed. a
The experiments were at first unsatistac-
tory, the machine on one occasion springing
aleak and sinking beside the wharf, but
after the propeller attached to it the
experiments were successful a speed OF
about seven miles an hour being attained,
and the machine showing a eapability CT
moving under water at the option Of those
controlling 1t. Some powers here, how
ever, claimed for il what even MasteEAiken
who is a professional submarine ex-
plOreTi (having been employed in remoY-
ing the sunken ships in the harbor Of Sc
bastOpel) )-coutended that it did not pos
sess; but he was of the opinion that in
wafer It would be valuablein finding
the localities of torpedoes The Alligator
manned by sixteen men, besides enc
in submarine armor, who was the explorer,
and a captain, who was to steer the craft
An air pump in the center of the machine,
to which attached two air tubes, at
tached to floats to furnish air 10 the
occupants, the machine being of course air
tight. The entrance to it was through
-.- manhole at one end, which was covered
with iron plate, with leather packing.
Characteristic AneedOte Of Mcclellan.
= From the Washington correspondence of
the Cincinnati Gazette we quote the follow
ing, which will probably be taken by the
Mcclellan press as another evidence of the
military genius of that Young Napoleon:
Since the report of the Committee on
Ian has quietly passed out of public no
tice, as a person Of no further account.
But there is a little story about him, au-
thenticated by the best possible authority,
which happily illustrates the nature of the
reign to which for eighteen months we pa
tiently submitted, that may be pardoned
for bringing up the dead General again to
tell it. I repeat that the evidence of its
truth is such as no man will dare dis
pute.
Mr.. Lincoln was in the habit Of having
. frequent consultation with General Ne
Clellan, in the vain effort to fathom those
mysterious "plans." Instead Of sending
messenger to the young General to tell
him the President wished to see hin, Mr..
Lincoln used to 60 quietly to Nc
Clellad's headquarters One day he failed
to see him. The General was busily en-
gagged with one OF his staf-eating lunch
He was told the President was waiting to
see him. "Tell him 1 am engaged" was
the reply the young upstart sent out; and
Mr.. Lincoln absolutely went off without
seeing him
{" II is the best illustration possible Of
the condition Of things to which inordi-
nate puffery Of weak, vain man had
brought usP