Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-09-10
In A SUBMARINE BOAT
Experiences OF a Reporter on
Board of Zalinskrs Nautilus.
How Party of Daring Men Realized
Jules Verne's imaginative Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Ion the Bed OF the AtISrtio.
IN. 7. Herald.l

IN. 7. Herald.l
"Have you made your willf"
"t's q splendil place down In there to
die of asphyxia."
These were some of the nerve tickling
comments hurled after a reporter who
CHANGED to be at Fort Hamilton, in the
Narrows, and was about to undertake q
weird trip to the bottom OF the bay on
board of Lieutenant Zalinski's iron-tipped
submarine torpedo boat, the Nautilus. The
people on the dock could afford TO be face
tious-they were not going down into the
depths. The reporter was, and his an
swering laugh therefore sounded perhaps
little forced and raspy, but it was well
intended.
The Nautilus has been "tied up" for q
long time at the Government pier at Fort
Hamilton. Experiments have been car
ried on meanwhile with great activity by
Lieutenant ZalinsA and by Mr.. Joseph
Holland, an engineer, working under the
direction of his brother, Mr.. John Holland,
of this city, who has perfected the engines
on oard. Yesterdays trial trip was in
tended to test the value of the experiments s
so long going on, and which it was judged
had sufficiently progressed to warrant a
"dive."
The reporter asked permission to take
thi. first dive. The Lieutenant said:
"You can go il you think you want to
chance it,"
The screw" of the boat was promptly on
hand. 1t consisted of one mana youth
full, nervy fellow, selected for his er dis
regard for the dangers of the deep, and
who hns gained the appellation of "The
Dynami,er." He descended into the boat,
which lay in the water, rolling easily on
the long swells sent out by the oft-passing
steamers. The little craft looked like a
huge cigar-a high-priced one-an point
cd at both ends. The reporter next fol-
lowed the crew into the turret hole and
was soon Joined by Lieutenant Zalinski
and the Holland brothers. &.
In few minutes the engine was started
The throb and thump Of its working and
the short puffs from the air valves were
painfully loud in the "cabin." The air
compressor has lately teen perfected, and,
though the boat is not constructed with
any other idea than to demonstrate to the
theory so long ago advanced that subma-
rine sailing is practicable, a speed of nine
miles an hour has been obtained. 1t worked
perfectly. The air is compressed by
means of it until the tubes on the port side
have pressure Of Ell ishty-fi pounds per
inch and on the opposite something less.
"Close the turrett," said the Lieutenant.
A last look outside revealed few SOL
diers and civilians on the wharf and a man
iolling on his oars in rowboat watching
the monster. In obedience to the order the
cap to the turret was swung round by an
inside lever and stout clamps inside soon
fastened it firmly down so as to exclude
the water. Only the light which driftad
in through bull's-eye and a small row of
headlights illumined the cabin, and can
dies were in lispensable.
"Open your valve"
The crew turned a stopcock. Water
from the Lay rushed into the water cham
bers, enveloring the catin, and into the
diving bell, and the boat / egan to de-
scend, with slight tilting forward, where
tie eight hundred pounds in the diving
Tell helped to bear it down. On the inside
could lie heard the FLASHING and tapping
of the water as the waves washed up
within the walls to the turret. Then the
water covered the shell entirely, and the
stern settled more evenly with the bow.
Tie turret was soon half under. Down
went the boat faster and faster. and in q
moment more a wave washed completely
over it's top.
That was q queer sensation.
1t caused the breath to come quick and
short for a minute, and every body tried to
be Jolly.
"I've got bucket Of water here" VOL
unteered the Lieutenant, but We haven't
any provisions"
Mica procpacf is varx, oos,, a. e;.i-
a boat, but to raise her is the question.
And something to eat would be handy, in
case the diver could not rise, to last until
search parties could haul it TO the surface
for her machinery might not work right
And while these thoughts "bobbed up
serenely" in ones mind, the motion Of the
waves was no longer felt. for the boat was
entirely submerged. The engine was not
working and the boat was at rest OH the
bottom Of the bay. Thus was realized,
thou only in degree, Jules Verne's i'm.
aginative Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under the Sea-"
1t needed only a sliding panel In the side
to be opened and disclose the wonders OF
the submarine depths. Fish were perhaps
nosing about the smooth sides OF the con-
ical craft in wonder or scurrying away
from it in terror.
The panel scheme would be a good one,
bui in lies of it the "dead lights" were
handy. No fish, however, were to be seen
through them, but dead leaves and sea-
weeu fioated about beneath the sur
face, moved by the outgoing tide.
Looking up through ih bu!rs-eye
in the crown or roof, the water was
lighter. The suns rays drifted dow.
through it, making it translucent and OBJ
jects, like shadows, passing on the sur
face, cast below them a deeper shadow
still, which looked queer in the weird
greenish waters. The water was twelve
feet deep thereabouts. The Nautilus, sui
merged, ordinarily draws six feet. An
easy calculation showed the depth Of the
boat. yacht might sail over it.
And now an odd feeling became notice.
able. The compressed air lii Grated int,
the "cabin" rendered the aimospher,
denser than under normal conditions, anG
there was a ringin in tue ears of hose or.
board. Perspii atfVn was forced from n,
skin, althou2 b the air was I warm, ~.
the reporters collar began to wilt "a IL
Let us 20 up"
Mr. Holland finally sug esfsd this yer.
calmly. Would she go up." Everyba
awaited the result OF the order ca .4t
The fate o the boat, may e of its y sse.
geis, depended upon 1t. At q 81. ma u
crew opened q valve. A sound of ushn
air from the tui,e> indicated that the III,
ing-bsll wGs Icing rid its " eighi {
water. How quickly it was al, do,
Only fourteen seconds, and rellrvel
eight hundred pounis of water, n- b..
rose until the top of the urret shot an.
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