Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-28
JOURNEY UNDER THEBAY.
AN ACTORS PERILOUS ADVEN.
TURE IN A SUBMARINE BOAT.
Turning at Fall Speed Into a Mud Bank
aud sticking There-Released by the
Torpedo Gun - A Badly Frightened

Fronl az Nelp ~ 81.

waters"
Not by a good DEAL" rejolned another.
s.He didn't take half the risk that Frank
Currer did"
s.Who is Frank Currierp' came like a
chorus.
"He is young actor. Three or four
vaars ago he made trip in the Fenian
submarine torpedo boat and got stuck in
inc mud at the bottom of the bay, and for
a while he didn't know but that the boat
yvouId prove an iron coffin that would
Keen him there till it rusted to pieces, or
until Gabriel blew his horn"
When Mr.. Currier was asked next dav
70 tell of his adventure, he said:
.,My home is at Saltersville, y. j., and
have been knocking about the water
over since was child. When the So
called Fenian submarine boat was built,
became much interested in her and visited
her frequently. In so doing formed the
acouAintanceship of her engineer and
Dr Holland, who was said to own her.
onc sunday morning, while she lay at
psmrapo. | was on Pat McGehan's dock
+alkinC to the engineer when DR.. Holland
came from the boat.
"'How would you like to take saii?'
said he
,.lu the iron pot?' l asked.
YES ne replied.
]
TO got this chance. so aunt weaken a
bit wheE he added:
..,But unless YOU are Wiling to 90 TO
the bottom, don't come. They say that if
she ever strikes nlud bank she viii stick
ir it. don't believe il, out I'm going 20
N ny
were or board the nOnde4ript.
s'Of al tbe queer craft ever saw she
a was the Qu4erest. Not aipye 80 feet long,
4 she looked Ike 4 piece Ofe gigantic cigar
ponled AZ both ends ane fitted with a
screw propeller at one Ofthem. She was
ABOUT 5 feet beam, and then in proper
trim for surface navigation, about 20
inches of her turtle hck was above
water Amldships she hid sort Of cap,
about ) feet long and haltas wide. and it
n stood about inches aboe the hull. In
Fl the front and sides of ths cap were six
platp glass windows. andin it's top was
a round trap or manhOlethe only means
of entering the boat. It's manhole had
cover which could he fatened on water
tight. Directly beneath vas sheet-irOn
chair, on which the naveator sat while
governing the movements of the vessel,
his ewes being then on lie with the mid
die of the windows.
1--WE received many Rrnings as we
embarked, but both had 18th in the YES
seland neither of us kneWnuch about the
sticking qualities Of the mud in the bot
tom of the bay, so we pal little heed to
them. As soon as | got own in the hold
! took stock of my Surroundings. In
front of the chair was space about
feet long and wide o the starboard
side was the engine, astrange-lOOking
machine, something in ppearance like
the pump of gOod-sizedteamer. There
was no coal nor steam nd. In starting
DR.. Holland took a piecef cotton waste,
a. - Ia all In, r.bo },
set fire to it, and in ten inutes the en-
zine was ready for use. the port side
were three air tanks, tw filed with air
for breathing and the thlIfOr the charges
of the pneumatic gun, which was ar
ranged so that its muZZlwas on line
with the cutwater. Therwas air enough
in the other tanks to last rec men for As
hours. Several gauges to how much air
had been used and also pressure in
the boat. | forgot to tell II that on both
quarters were two horiZOal iron wings
or hanges. which were grated from the
inside. which when placeat an angle
would elevate her stern,ld thus send
her dOwn in the water, othe reverse.
When all was in readinesthe manhOle
top was screwed down ght, and we
started for Robbins reelght, distant
about three miles. We me 1t in about
twenty minutes, and shay thereafter
We were in the middle of tBhip channel.
We had twol lights In our Gin, and, after
= glance at them to see thahey were all
right, the doctor said:
NOW we will go down.
al that ne moved pG of the ma
ohiuery. Then heard SD OF water
into = compartment, and B settled so
much by the head that hao take hold
Of cleat to brace mya Then the
haHges Oh .he quarters vi turned so
thst che would be sent doyat an angle
Of about 30 degrees.
Nov brace yourself ~ said the
Il doctor, for am going 20 ew her wide
III open
III n cbeyed as best l eoulthd the next
moment ne started the dne ut full
MI speed.
n 81. made terrible nOisend for the
irs. tine l began to rea!iz9e perlous
Gst2re OF my position. Il DIT take long
70 Fesoh the bottom. and wenci1 it with
sQ9h force that, though heetor and I
nae braced ourselves as FRI a. uOssi-
ae, and we're holding on to ats beside.
VIE were hurled rom ougaees and
brought W aglinas.;he braa4f the run.
well, here We are s.u. What
uextr
"'wAat nextp replied doctor.
WHY, to get i1e, il pOsail We are
s'deS IN mud bank and no'll try and
bars Aer on:.
"TAe shock of.he coinsiond mt ont
one of or lights and the otneas nurr-
ing 50 dully tint ~ nae5iyleucd 10
make me dAfkhts risible. UsAod n, r.
sci; asho:a with Il NY heart. I taouqlt
what z FOO va TO Ysnturei such
tup. The doeN eat tn. ens'' M work
pumping cut IN compsriueiflrwa-i
ana ia little vile TIE gau' showed
that II @as dry. Then he rfrsed tho
proprlls'. but itouldn't bulgMr. For
Ten minutes thft5umpiny DIV heart
was 8s 'ou1 tci rs tae 'olantlauc, Of
the engine. Stiwe were iaStlhe doc
Tor sjorret Soc ginc and | trl 10 fad
some aop- iu iroSpresslon his face.
tli h looked u "a demons Nh,o flint
CLEAN O. rhe iN. Then fu.onea OF
my danger fasc on me. ThoI was In
an ron pot ~ bottom o. the IN. stuck
Inst IN chs mudid my nautii Luoyyl-
cage tol& INC q TIC propellowith rs
United amount power, Coultnnt FREQ
va. IL was truere was air ,buvh in
ny tanks 10 hCin li,a for a mplo Of
days, but that iasured n ngerlnc
Instead Of : sI death. med back
10 me chair antlseG Ivy hando open
the cap OF taC tbolc. No. Too tbnt
We're instant IL Ter tne watt would
tohic IN witn . force that cid NOT
push my body tsh, and We 1uld he
II ldru WNpN iiitn n