Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-11-21
A suBm 4rlne Boat.

The Nordenfelt boat, the first of its
class, was built at $ iOckhOlm. about two
years ago The boat is cigar-shaped,
with c06n-like projection on the TOP
anidshIpss formed by vertical com bin
IDg5 supporting glass dome, or coming
tower one foO5 high which enables the
/ commander TO see his way.
The dome, with its iron prO Getting
/ cover stands on a horizontal lid, which
can be swung aside 10 allow the crew Of
/ three men ~ getln or out without diff
entity.
The length Of the hull Is sixty-four
] feet, and the central diameter nine feet.
] 1t is built Of S Eeedish mild steel plates
! tiVe-eighrs Of an inch thick at the center
and tapeTed TO three Fights of an inch at
/ the ends, supported on angle-iron fran
ing three inches by three Fights inch.
/ The arrangements for sinking the boat
| are Of a special nature, for which the in
VentOr claims i'm, Ortant advantages.
/ Practically such boat can be sunk in
! three ways, elngly or IN combination. 1t
may be forced down by power applied
| from within, weighed down by taking
] IN sea water sufficient to destroy the
| buOyancy, or it may be steered down by
/ the application OF It's ordinary motive
power modified by horizontal rudder.
Mr.. NOrdenfelt has adopted the form
er arrangement, placing sponsors on
each side of the boat amidshIps, in which
are wells for the vertical propeIlers cap
able Of working the boat up or down.
In order to prepare Tor action, enough
sea water is takeL in to reduce the buoy
ancy to 100 weight, which sufhCes to
keep the coming tower above the sur
face.
In order to sink the boat further the
vertical prOpellers are set Ia motion and,
by their action it is held at the required
depth. Thus, to come to the surface
again it is merely necessary TO stop the
vertical prOpellers, in which case the
reserve Of buOyancy at once comes into
play.
This principle is rightly regarded as
important, even If not essential, in a safe
submarine boat.
A break. down in the engine does not
entail danger, since the reserve of buoy
ancy is never lost for a moment. AS a
still further safeguard, however, Minor
denfelt has provided an automatic check
on the downward motion. A lever,
with q weight which can be adjusted so
far as to COunteTbalance any desired
head Of water, is conducted with a thrOt-
tle-valve supplying steam to the engine
working the vertical prOpellers. Thus
directly the desired depth is exceeded
the increased head of outside water
Overcomes. the weight and the vertical
rOpellers are stopped.
The motive power is steam alone, gen
Grated in a boiler of the ordinary marine
type, with a 70. Ced draught.
So long as the boat runs on the surface
this boiler can be stocked and a head of
steam maintained. The smoke is driven
out through two channels which pass
partly round the hull and point aft.
For submarine work no stocking is, of
course, possible, and the fire box has to
be sealed 1t is therefore necessary to
store the requisite power beforehand and
this is done by heating the water In two
tanks placed fore and aft and connected
by circulating tubes with the boiler till
g pressure Of about $50 pOuads per square
inch is attained.
With about this initial pressure, it is
stated that the boat has been driven for
sixteen miles at a speed Of three knots.
The greatest surface speed attained is a
little over eight knots, and the boat has
been run for $50 miles without reCOaling.
There are three sets Of engines, one Of
which drives the propeller, an ordinary
fOur-blad6 screw five feet in diameter, i
with a pitch of seven feet six inches The
other engines drive the blower and the
horizontal propBlleTs respectively.
One Of the principal difficulties Of sub
marine ndWlgaGlOu Is TO preserve an even
keel when under water.
Should a boat turn downward when
in motion below the surface, it might
easily strike the bottom, or reach q depth
at which it must collapse before its
course could be arrested.
On the other hand, if the bow took an
upward turn under the same CirCum-
stances, the boat would rapidly come to
the surface, and be exposed to view and
to prOjectiles. 1t is evidently, therefore,
of the most Importance to provide ample
steering power in q vertical direction.
In the Eordenfelt boat two horizontal
ruddeTs are placed one on each side near
the bows, and are acted upon by q PEN
dilum inside of the hull. This pendulum,
coming into play the instant the boat /
takes a cant in either direction, actuates
the horizontal rudders, and causes hertO |
Immediately return to an even keel. By /
this means it is claimed that the boat is /
automatically kept with her axis hOri- |
ZOntal, while since the bow Tudders are /
entirely beyond the control Of the crew |
there Is no danger of accident due to /
neglect or loss of nerve.
In the event of a breakdown Of the 1
above arrangement, it is necessary at /
once to stop the boat and let her turn to /
the surface. No compressed air is car /
ried, and the crew depend, therefore, for /
existence on the amount Of air sealed up i
in the hull. With this amount Of alr 4
only, four men have remained for 3 per
iOd of six hours without any special in /
convenience.
A White Antelope.
The Siamess have their white ele- /
plants, but 1t has remained for WyO- !