Telegram-herald., 1890-03-06
T.
THE PERAL roRPEDo BOAT.


These experiments were unsatisfac-
tory. The Inventor did not care 70 GO
below the surface, but confined his
efforts TO trying the propelhng ma
chinery, sscertainIng the displacement,
and measuring the hsh-lines, consum D.
tion OF energy and spelling Of the air
contained within the vessel. In almost
all these respects the inventor met with
disappointment one OF the propeller
shafts broke; but not until he had
found the speed TO be only four miles
an hour; the boat foated too high and
TOO much TO one side; when in motion.
il put it's nose downward and sent water
all over the coming" tower, and. worst
OF all. the atmosphere got foul SO
rapidly al 20 asphyxi the crew.
PerGl, undisoouraged, took very COM
plete notes OF all these faults and draw
backs, and the next day engaged two
very sklllful mechanics. one English
and one French. to remedy the defects.
For five months they worked night and
dzy, and in that time invented over
thirty different mechanisms and pro-
cesses to increase the efficiency OF the
boat. Critics say that many, If not
most of these were borrowed from the
patent reports of the United States;
still If they were. they were so changed
in order TO be of use under the new
conditions as TO be practically new ideas.
On July 20, 1899, the boat 80 changed
as to be an almost new vessel, again
started out upon a trial trip, and this
time with much better results. Ii
obeyed the helm and turned without
great trouble inside OF FIVE lengths. 1t
showed speed upon the surface OF the
water Of six miles an hour. a marked
improvement upon its former record.
1t submerged itself without much effor,
but the submergence was very slow and
uncomfortable. Out of ten divings
only one was noticeable. and that
lasted eighteen minutes. The others
lasted from three to ten minutes, and
on every occasion both inventor and
crew displayed the greatest relief
when they were once more out upon
the deck. The longest submergence
occurred when the boat was at the
wharf and so fastened with ropes that
it could be hauled up by the vast crowd
present, in case of any danger or ac-
cident.
During the trial trip there were any
mum ber OF accidents OF which all OF
nearly all were due to defective
mechanism. On one occasion the sub
merging machinery could not be stop
ped and the boat went to the bottom,
where it lay stranded a few minutes in
a bank of mud. On another the valves
of the air-pumps refused TO work and
the crew were almost suffocated. Fun.
niest of all, once when it was under
water, Peral could not tell where he
was and finally turned up in a place
directly opposite to where he had an
nounced he was going There were
other accidents which have moi
come TO the public ear as al
the people on board are men OF re.
markable discretion and power OF
silence.
Despite this. the following facts have
been sscertained. Under water il was
impossible to see more than ten feet in
any direction; the mariners compass
did not yoin. correctly at any time. on
account of the iron and steel of which
the boat is constructed: tho carbonic
acid prod uced by breathing. gas burn
ing and chemical decomposition, accu-
mulated rapidly and made everyone
sick and weak after twelve minut tes
had elapsed: when the screws did not
work together. the boat displayed an
alarming tendency to roll over and
over regardless of its inmates and con
tents both on the surface and beneath
there vas no level at any time. so that
IL was difficult, IL not impossible to use
a torpedo with any certainty. while
there was possibility it mi ght explode
right under the vessel itself
These difficulties, dangers and de-
,ects we're many and grave enough 10
break down most inventors, but Peral
went TO work with redou bled
energy. He increased bis force of
assistants. snd after four months and
shalf Of excessive labor. again present
ed his boat for trial before the naval
authorities OF the nation. This time be
had so much success that revolution
in naval warfare IS visibly imminent.
The boat IS it now appears Is spin
dIe-shsped vessel something like tbe
famous Ross Ninsns cigsr-shsped
steamship. which measures 2 feet >
inches In length feet inches beam
snidship pa and 10 feet inches in depth.
The curvature is not regular. be eing
nach .ess in the centre and quarters
than a. he bow OF stem Il = made %
ths best wrous t-iron. and "a rein forced
internally 18th steei partitions snd
sanctions. Ire bow is sharp. snd in Sc
below the surface q TIE aperture q 2
torredo do-tuhe A. the steTn ara tvo
bronze screw rrorellsrs ard At ordinary
See ru3der. On toe deck proper, u ne
name can be aopl al 20 the eop 81 tss
Tessel. "a a coming bour, sbout avs fees
r. hsiEat e, zht feet iong and 'our feet
Vi5e Tie lo~ea-i part oi il sbons
s -thir3 q she whes il used a. a
? llos-8oase. ard cons sts ~ = frame
voFs O. sreei waoss arert1-es s-p filsd
vith pieces p taIcx so very ane plate
Elsss Ihsss sre inserted nos OILY On
svery si1e. Bat also on ths ton q ths
tower, 20 trst 80 -s-tafr a. r5for "a