New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-29
MR.. HOLLANDS TORPEDO BOAT
WHAT THE INVENTOR SAYS ABOUT HER.

WHAT THE INVENTOR SAYS ABOUT HER.
NOT BUILT BY FENIAN MoNEY-ANoIhth boNi
Bu1LpING-THE NEW APPLIANCES TO DE TESTED
al don't know why such fuss should he
made about this thing. such an excitement createu
by tho newspapers" said j. q. Holland to IA TRIBUNE
reporter last week as they sat together in the Office OF
Thomas Gannons coppeTsmth shop at Nos. "a and 10
Hudson-st Jersey City. The subject OF the remark was
Mr. Hollands torpedo-boat, which has been variously
described "a a submarine ram, torpedo boat and the
Fenian navy. Mr.. Holland was waiting for convey
ance TO take him Pamrapo y. j. where his torpedo
boat arrived few days ago after being absent for
week in charge of Mr. Gilbert the engineer In answer
to inquiries as to result OF the trial trip Mr. Holland
exclaimed enthusiastically: Oh she worked per-
fecty Gilbert took her Long Island Sound and she
was there two or three DAYS running on shore at night
and remaining there until morning. thought when he
started that lie only intended 10 run her out and beach
her convenient point so that we could pant her.
as had been talking about painting her for some days
before He's n queer kind of n fellow and he wouldn't
tell me much about the trip but he is smart and
thoroughly Trustworthy"
Mr.. Holland talked freely about the boat and his in
tentions in regard her and said he had nothing TO
conceal except things about the boat which are not
vet patented and which he didn't TO have praed"
alas ODonovan Rosa the Fenan organization
ANYTHING TO do with the boatl said Mr.. Holland. re-
peating question asked by the reporter. No sir; no
more than you have. / have connection With either
ofthem would not know ODonoya RossaifI saw him.
never met him except once. and that was III 1870
never got a dollar for the any other purpose
from him or from the Fenlans, and do not want ana
would not take any Of their money. am not In sym
patty with the scheme OF collecting money from poor
seryant-girls who cnnnOt spare 1t without shifting
themselves. I know that persistent effort has been
made to create the impression that my boat was built for
the Fenians and with money from the so-called Skin
mshng Fund.- but assure you thatts not true ana wish
THE TRIBUNE which has always treated Inc fairly would
set me right on that point The newspapers have not
done me Justice "a a rule OF them AT my in
yention and others publish interviews with me that
never took place. don't Ike all this mystery ana SEN
sation Ihnve nothing conceal. have already told
YOU except things which desire to protect be-
cause have not yet patented them. hope nobody will
subscribe money 10 thc skrmishing any other fund In
the belief that be applied TO the construction OF
my boat.
ayes am building another boat on the same model as
the first one She is there in the other room. but OF
course for obvious could not let newspaper
reporter see In fact one has access to the room
except .ne men actually work her. she will be
smaller than first one, and intend 10 use her for
governmental purposes only; that have entirely
new appliances that test and they are sue
cessful will put them in the other boat came here to
build her because Mr. Cannon is an inventor himself
She Will Ue finished H. about month and then purpose
making IA thorough test Of the new appliances.
"Certanly these boats be uscd for war purpose
and intend they shall be II persuade any govern
meut to adopt them. / confidently expect that the
United States Government will be my fret customer and
prefer that It should &c. a. am an American citizen
But they can be made just useful and much less de-
structive in time peace My invention Is new appi-
cntion OF the diving-beil principle. The boat viii be
practically useful in working around sunkcn vessels rs
she can he placed in position At any part o. the vessel
he, ed fp
do by hand It l. true that intend the boat n M in
strument OF war; she Is peculiarly adapted for that
PURPOSE Tho boat at Pamrapo Is thrty-one feet
long aud six feet diameter; the total distance from
the bottom Of shoe TO the top OF the dome Is seven
feet There six glass lights windows IN the sides
OF dome and through tie top projects telescope lOt
laying the course when the boat j. under the surface
Immediately under the dome are guges 10 lhdchte the
depth of water the air pressure IN the and
tbs pressure the ar-tank,. The boat Il buit III the
shape OF spindle Hhc has Deth chllru cigar ruhou
but she Is Ia the form Of spindle. lhe steers
sits directly under The dome WIN MS head under
clear IN any direction through the windows IN
front Of him ana lamps 10 thfo" IEnt on ly 'oDi1s
and on the gauges whCn the boat Is submergcd AT Ia.
motion Of the boat aud mechanism for controlling the
speed Of the eng At bis left hand two lcye--oue
for guang the position OF the hatl"hy and the other
for controlling vertical motion Of the boat when rub
merged. Her vertical motion Is also controlled auto
a ram Her motive power j. Bray ton petroleum en-
CINE twcnyho power Full power can bc got up IN
nine miles hour. In her axis Is placed uiue-lnch
tube ten and Onchalf feet long through which toTpcdors
can be forced with great velocity by means OF COM
pressed air. The usual range OF the tofcdocs j. IN
Tended be about thirty yards, with 200 pound, OF air
pressure IN perfectly straight line under Water but a7
the tension OF the charge may be Increased To lOOo
pounds air pressure. the range can DE cOrcspondnsy
longer She six tOrpcdOnS. each containing
100 pound charge nd these be placed In tue tube
and shot while the boat II submerged, al the rate OF
one shot minute. Aftcr the shot Is fired the water
that gct into the Il expelled b. compressed air
cover on the end the tube IN the water closes automatic
ally another torpedo j. placed In the other end oi the
tube nnd the firing repeated The boat has displncc
mcnt Of nineteen tons when submerged 80 that the c-
s,sauce greater than that of boat OF the same size
ON The surface. One advantage of the boat ram IS
that when she strikes object she cannot get pnced
and held fast account OF her shape This has been
tested Hhc was into wharf no Bay Ridge and
she backed ont without any trouble. " any accident
happens the in charge Is disabled The boat rises
automatically the surface, tat there no dai ger
from being her. In heavy sea she sails smoothly
and only slight motion IS felt The st4nngest sensa-
ton felt by person going down IN her would be That OF
nothing happening"
Mr. ii Hand declined 10 state how he procured air.
tune 10 possess He said that he lad process by which
he could compress air AT the bottom OF the sea without
rising the surface at time The volume Of his air
holders Is cubic feet aud the f. stored in them
at twenty atmosphere. Nothing has been done 10 The
boat i'm two years aud nothing will be done except to
paint her until the boat finished and The al
uances are tested. She Is now at PamrapO for the Iur
nose being painted and will probably Icinain there for
The present unless the engineer should take notion to
10 oil another cruise One man can manage her. Dut
the usual crew will consist of three persOns-a steers
man an engineer aud aver. II II IS found by expert
ence that diver can be dispensed with the crew will
consist OF only two men.
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