Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-28
FORTY FEET DOWN.
WONDERFUL DIVING PEATs OF THE
ToRPEDo.BoAT PEAcExAKER.
Plunging Beneath e River steamer-Im-
mense Crowds Of People Look On.
New York Herald

reappear from its depths.
After the monitor had made prellmi-
nary dash to cool of, with Captain John
Holland and Kngincer John Klyne on
board, Herald reporter embarked as
a passenger to the submarine depths.
The start was made amid the good
byes" of 3 number Of interested gen.
tlemen on the tugboat Chance Shot.
LAYING her course toward the New Jersey
shore, the Peacemaker went along mer-
rily, her pilots dome and the hatch
covering catching the waves that
brisk breeze sent over the waters.
When we'll under way Pilot Holland
gave cautionary signal and then called
for "full speed" The throb Of the
engine sounded pleasantly where the
reporter sat "hcldiDg down" a pile Of
pig iron ballast, and the whirr Of the
screw coupling created hrst-class
local breeze which cooled the air close
by him. though no part Of the cabin
was very warm.
With everything working easily, the
dive was begun. The last ray of Old
Sol stiesmed in through the cage AMI
made a dancing picture on the wall.
Then the waves put stop to this, and
as the boat sought the depths the inte
rior grew darker every moment, until
not even a reflection helped the artih-
cial lights TO dispsl the gloom. The
passengers cid not feel any Of this
gloom, though they could see it. Engi-
neer Klyue was overlooking his ma
chinery as uncOncernedly as though he
were on board a pleasure.yacht instead
Of under the water IN an engine OF de-
struction. by and by be began chat
tirg with the reporter, telling him how
Holland and himself got out Of the
Peacemaker when she was sunk in fifty
feet Of water recently.
POOLING THE PEOPLE on SHORE.
"We'll 20 up the river, | guess,
volunteered the pilot, calmly. " Tne
dial says we're twenty-five feet down.
The boats head was brought around
ninety degrees, ard she sped uo the
river with the strong current az more
than eight miles an hour. The minute
passed quickly. The dial marked a
intervals thirty, thirty-hve, thirty-seyen
then forty feet below the uneasy water
at the surface of the Hudson. The
screw reyolyed at the dizzy speed Of
800 times a minute, aud the propeller 8
velocity actually made the cucumber
shaped craft rock slightly as 1t bsat
the resisting waters. Then II was found
that the lid Of the hatch hadn't been
well screwed down. and the great pres
sure OF the water at forty feet depth
caused it to find the leaks. 4 shower
bath was the result, and the reporter
got 1t upon his head. Quickly moving
cut from under the icy cold streams he
sat down by the engineer aud wondered
whether tie she'll vas going to collapse.
il didn't, but the downfall of water
continued until the boat came to the
surface.
This event occurred twenty minutes
after the admiring c.owds on shore lost
sight Of the boat, and TO their astonish-
ment, when they were looking for her
to rise somewhere across the river,
her stern shot into view over two miles
up the stream.
DIVING UNDER A STEAMER.
Ten feet east Law a notilla Of canal.
boats. A wonder.struck deck-hsnd
peeIed over the side Of one of them.
~ could hang hat on this fellow :
eyes, shouted the pilot from his look
cut.
The diver returned slowly down the
river, crossed to the shore of "eehaw.
ken Heights and then headed towards
the New York side.
a steamer is coming up the river, -
said Pilot Holland to the passenger,
who couldn't see out. Then, in a mo.
meut more, these- sentences were ut
tered in a sharp, eager tone Of voice
"She's the City Of Kingston she's
coming across our bows. Wen 60 IN
der her. Give her all you've got.'
Town UNDER A STEAMER.
This last meant full speed she got
it instantly. The little terror fairly
Jumped ahead over the water, and, after
giving a shrll blast Of defiance on her
diminutiye whistle, her stern went un.
der. and the Pescemaker slid out o.
sight az a tremendous inclination. Thi,
Dive was intended to show people ho e
she vas expected to act in real charge
on the enemy. The reporter almost
Slid forward to the bows, so acute was
the incline of the boat 1t needed No
exertion to get out from under that
same old sbOwer-bath, but rather trial
TO keep off the engine. Down, down
she went. till il seemed as if the mar
vellous little steel fish would stick her
nose in the mud on the bottom. The
boat was quiyering under the pressure
Of her engine. At last the Peacemsker,
under control Of the horizontal rud-
deIs, stopped descending, settled evenly
on her keel, and gllded across the
liver.
WHERE THEY COULD BLOW HER UP.
Thirty-seyen feet deep" said Hol-
land. II only required few seconds
to cover the distance, but to the
single passenger 1t Ieemed great deaI
longer.
~ see the shadow Of the Kingston
over US now" called out the pilot, his
hands holding the levers to both sets Ol
ruddeTs ana keeping the boat steady
and here's about where we would re-
lease the toTpedoes to blow der out OF
water"
In another moment be said A" We
are far enough away from and beyond
her now to touch the electric-bntton
and discharge them with safety to our
/ selves
OUT OK TIE OTHER SIDE.
Then the peacemaker sought the sur
face again. The City of Kingston, q
thousand feet behind and above her,
was steaming up the river as though
her captain feared the strange. BLACK
object playing around him really hac
evil designs against his vessel. Those
( two dives were a success, IN the opln'