The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-12-31
A SUBMARINE MONSTER.
How GunboSts Were Blown to Atom
During the War.

DurfnE the war.
The death of j. r. McClintock, in
Boston harbor, while perimenting
with torpedoes, furnishes finale to q
history closely interviewer with the war.
McClintock was resident of New Or
leans, and during the war his name was
terror to the men of the United States
navy who were located in Southern
waters. 1t was he who introduced the
torpedo mode of warfare, which before
had not been recognized rs legitimate
arm ofthe service. He was the inventor
of the submarine vessel which has be-
come famous in the history of the late
war rs the destroyer OF the United States
gunboats Milwaukee, Tecumseh and the
Housatonic, at Savannah. The latter
named boat had been lying for days
with 700 pounds of gunpowder under
her, and every means known to the
Confederates had been exhausted for ex-
plotting it, but without avail. McClin-
took was sent for with his submarine
torpedo vessel, and within an hour after
launching the formidable though co..
tracted vessel the Housatonic and her
tock's vessel was forty feet long, built
cigac shape, and was five feet between
decks. 1t was so constructed that it
would float ut any depth under the
water or on the water. The manner of
operating it was to sink it to depth
sufficient to pass under the Keel of the
vessel to be destroyed. From the stern
extended an arm from which was sus-
pended the torpedo, which was paid out
by rope in the vessel. The torpedo
itself WIS so constructed us to float at
any given depth also. After passing
under tie vessel to be destroyed, the
torpGdo-ve was brought nearer 10 the
surface of the water, and propelled as
rapidly rs possible away Fl ON the tatcd
ship. In this manner the torpedo,
which WAS in tow, would be forced
against The side of the ship with sufii-
Gent force TO explode it, and thus conf
plete its deadly work.
Before entering upon the hazardous
experimr mt of attempting to live in an
air-tight vessel under water, McCin-
took consulted Prof. Robinson, of New
Orleans, and other scientific authority,
TO ascertain how lSng it would be safe
for him to remain under water in his
novel Invention, aad also to explain to
him what sensations he might expect
when the oxygen in the air had been
consumed to such degree as to render
his situation dangerous. Prof. Robin
son said to Mr.. MCCHntock that he
might remain under the water two
hours, but gave him no information as
to what his sensations would be when
tue oxygen had been consumed.
Without further light than this, the dar-
ing McClint0ck went down for he first
time in bis boat alone, and, finding him
self rs able TO breath freely under water
as above, he remained in his submarine
shell for five hours. In the next ex-
pertinent he took another man with him,
and continued each time he expert
mented TO increase the number OF per-
sons in the boat, until he had ten men
in his vessel, and instead of remaining
under the water but two hours the ten
men lived down among the fishes for
twenty-four hours. The boat was pro-
PEELED by windlass attached to screw,
and was worked by hand, and could be
raised to the surface or lowered to any
depth mt will, with all possible ease,
and guided in any direction, so that
he could as efFectually defy the
enemy in locating his position as
porpoisc does who leaps out of the
water, plunges out of sight again,
and afterWurd appearS in the direction
least suspected. This vessel, however,
after destroying the Housatonic, was
itself lost. There were on it at the time
of doing its last deadly work ten Eng
lishmen, and it was supposed ny
McClintock that after destroying the
Huusatonic the vessel was driven out
To sea in u storm, and that it finally
went down. - Phi LddelphiG Record