The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-25
A STRANGE STORY!
Twenty-six Miles an Hour
Under Water.
IS STEAM sT2ERcEDED!
A Remarkable Story of a Trip Across the
Atlantic in Torpedo Boat.
NEWPORT, Dec. IA, 1855.

NEWPORT. Dec. IA, 1883.
EDITOR YAoUINA MAIL:-There is man
at present stopping in this town VIII" tells
story that sounds as strange as one of Baron
Munchausen's tales, but the man is certain
ly not crazy, and appetrs to be man OF
intelligence and large experience. Now,
what he tells may be known to the scientific
world, or it may be yet Il Government
secret. but certainly think the facts as
stated by him are new to the general pub
lie. and so far as my observation goes the
papers have had but little to say on the
subject.
He states that he came ont from England
to Victoria on one of the torpedo boats
Two were sent out and are now at Victoria.
Their names are the Shore and Serf. lie
saws that they carried crew of eighteen
men: that they mad. most Of the passage
under water at depth of about SIX fathoms;
that they made twenty-six miles an hour
and that only one bucket of fuel was used
in the whole passage; that they had no use
for fre-men or engineers, but that the
motive power used was electricity and hy-
drauIic. and one man managed the entire
business. He states that none of the crew
were allowed tu even look at the machinery
hy which the boat was propelled. They are
both of about 300 tons each and 3O) feet
length. They could sink below the surface
at will. and arise to the surface when the
weather is fine, and could in five minutes
take in air enough to allow them to remain
under water three or four hours. They
cruised in the Bay of Biscay. and were ex-
rerimented with and tested. They then
crossed the tlantic and down the Straits OF
Ma .ellan. Two conveys accompanied them
the Thunderer and Galatea, but the tor
redo boats had to instantly wait for them.
In bad weather they would remain under
water and move along among the fish rs
quietly as on "A LAKE, and the crew Were as
comfortable as though sitting in house.
In giving this story 1 cannot vouch for
one word of it. l only give it as the man
states. and h is here to speak for himself
But if it is true it seems to one it is indeei
wonderful and he long Dire IN OF dlsplac1n@
steam is at last realized.
We have heard for many years of the
Keelv Mntar until it has become a jest:
when it was claimed that a locomotive conld
he run rrross the continent from New York
to San Francisco on a thimble full of water.
/ Such stories are published, read and laughed
at. But how much less strange is it that a
\ l f,,,, IT,, a,,1
| 20 the Pacific Coast ON bucket Of fuel, and
driven along at the rate of twenty six miles
per hour not over the water, but under
and through it. Many of your readers have
! doubtless read jules Verne's story of Given.
ty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. /" II
these statements be true. Jules Verne
vision has become Il reality. But my object
in sending you this communication is not
merely to give publication to strange
story. but to call forth, if possible some
information on the subject. We all know
that experiments are constantly being made
with electricity as motive power, and We
4 know that many wonderful results arr
4 81 imed for it. But is it known that it ha:
vet taken the place of steam in our countr,
to any practical purpose? And we hav'
; mad many stories III our papers about torpe
do boats and the wonderful things perform
ed hy them. but have we anything In com
parison to this achievement, If true! L
these boats can he driven under the waite
r at the rate of speed claimed, they coul'
: dive down at Victoria and pop up In Sal
Francisco harbor the next day, and wha
) war vessel could contend with them? Wa
ships would he but playthings, and harbo
fortifications they could laugh at.
To sum up the whole matter, has Englans
stolen a march on the rest of the world ant
given the first great pr ctical demonstration
of the startling and wonderful revolution Il
motive power and ocean navigation; and ar
we soon to see steam engines sold for "l'
+ iron and melted up, and engineers and hre
> men passed out of use? Ii this story
true, and all the results are generally know
TO the public, l would be compelled to COZ
Tess that have been taking Rip VA
r Wrinkle sleep. However, please pnhils
d this and let us see how much light you
y contemporaries can throw on the matter
and oblige yours respectfully,
j. J. WINANT.
Aftersreading the above and converse
# riop with Capt. j. j. Winant while in tn
9 CITY this week, we have examined the file
20 ,s the Scientific American; and find in til
ir issue of Nov. 7th, 1885, where a trial trip
v 4, submarine vessel had been made o
N Lantlskrona, town on the Swedish coas
% The boat is the invention of Mr. Nordenfel
land is said to be successful. 1t is built