The Portland daily press., 1886-08-30
THE PEACEMAKER.
Successful Trial Trip of a Submarine
Torpedo Boat.
New York Times.)

(New York Times)
In the broiling sun of Thursday afternoon
about 800 persons, 50 of whom were ladies in
charming summer costumes, stood on the
| west bank of the Hudson River beneath the
great Riverside Drive and gazed upon a
strange looking vessel anchored near the
shore. The vessel bore the name of Chance
Shot and was tumble of wood; iron, and
rope, and seemed to have accommodations
for neither man nor beast. About 40 men
and women stood on its decks, and a very
busy man, known as Prof. j. L. Tuck,
moved about as though he had mission to
perform. What might have been very bad
lot of old junk was tied to the Chance Shot,
and had the audacity to show itself above
water. Everybody knew what the tow was,
1t was submarine monitor, and the occa-
sion was public exhibition of its powers to
dash through and under the waters. 1t
might have done vast amount of work in
the way of destroying vessels if it had had
a license to do that kind of work. Notwith-
standing its destructive powers, it is known
as the Peacemaker, and its inventor claims
that in iiffy, it can bring about the de-
struction of the greatest man-of-war of this
or any other country.
The Peacemaker was constructed by G. III.
nsFine o&ftCf Il tGf GSapahy Gaa iS of No 10 West
TWenty-third street 1t is 80 feet In length,
with breadth of beam of 81 feet and a
depth of u feet. The bow stern tapers off
from amidships, and the forward end OF the
vessel is surmOunted by dome II inches
high. This is set with glass and is the pilot
house. Entrance to the boat is through
scuttle abaft of this dome. AT the stern Is
propeller and an ordinary rudder. There
are two horizontal rudders, with which the
boat may be detected up or down. The in
terror of the boat is about half-filled with
machinery including powerful little West
inghouse engine. Compressed air is stored
in siX-inch pipes running around the lnte-
rior, and arrangements are made by, which
air may be supplied by chemicals. A gauge
registers the depth Of the. vessel beneath
the surface of the water. An incandescent
electric lamp furnishes the light; 1t IS des-
tined to use two torpedOes attached together
by chain and fastened TO cork magnets,
which will attach themselves to the iron or
steel sheething of vessel to be destroyed.
These are to be fired by electricity after the
torpedo boat has retired to safe distance;
when Prof. Tuck's three men entered the
torpedo boat Thursday afternoon they, bore
ers and undershirts, and everybody except
ing the Professor seemed to look upon the
experiments about to be made In the same
light as those made by the barrel men and
the eX-policeman who recently passed
through the Niagara Rapids. The ladies
we've especially alarmed, and predicted that
the men WoulI be smothered or that some
terrible calamity would betall the little yes
sell 1t was cast off from the Chance Shot
like lot of old iron which had some myste-
rious floating powers. 1t drifted rapidly up
the river for few hundred yards, and then
suddenly disappeared beneath the waves. The
spectators made many observations concern
ing it. 1t was generally agreed that IL would
in 10 riU 9
would show its whereabouts, and for time
it looked as though the spectators were cor
rect in thr SurmiSes, but when the water
ceased to show any unusual c0mmotlon the
spectators were staggered. They quickly
lost all traces of the Peacemaker's wherea-
bouts, and looked all over the river, expect
ing to see the vessel bob up in almost any
quarter 1t was fully 80 minutes before
there was any sign of the little terror
1t then showed up like lifeless horse
floating in the water mile away. The steam
er Sylvan Grove was coming down
the river, and what seemed to be life
less gave vent to three meek little Whistles,
and the Sylvan Grove blurted outs its whist
ling recognition of the Peaeemaker; Inen l
the queer looking object battled against the
tide and came down the river to the Chance
Shot The trapdOor was opened and the
three men stepped out and aired themselves.
they acted as though plunge into the river
would have been refreshing to them, but
deck Of the monitor and answered questions
put to them by the ladies and gentlemen 81 avS 9A
the vessel can do the work which it is ealcu-
lated to perform. 1t can move about like
fish under water, and the apparatus which
the crew has at hand Will make 1t possible to
float torpedoes under any vessel and blow
that vessel into fragments in quicker time
than gun can be leveled at the Peacemaker,
even if she should be rash enough to show
her head above water
Everybody was delighted with the trips of
the Peacemaler, which were continued un-
til nearly dark. Her sudden disappearances
and appearances made everybody on shore
laugh, and the astonishment of the passen,
gers on the steamers going up and down the
river whenever the torpedo boat shot up in
full view of them was the occasion of much
wonder and amusement. Prof Tuck is sat
istied that his invention is something that no
well regulated navy can afford to do without,
and those who watched the movements of
the Peacemaker Thursday agreed with him.