Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-23
SUBMARINE GUN-BOAT.
Vessel Which Plunges Under Water an
 There Pursues Her Course.

Vessel Which Plupges Under Water and
 There Pursues Her Course.
 A correspondent of the Temps sends from Toulon an account of experiments made by the submarine gunboat, the Gymnote, from which the chief passages are quoted by the London Times.
 This small vessel has the form of a narrow spindle. It is 1T meters 20 centi- meters long by meter 80 centimeters in diameter, just the height necessary to stand up in the interior. It weighs 30, 900 kilograms, and it's motive power is an electric fifty-fye horsepower ma chine, made from the plans of Captain Krebs. and worked by accumulators. This motor puts screw in motion. The Gymnote at the close of 1868 underwent trials which were quite successful from a nautical point of view, hut it was then admitted that it was indispensable to modify the acctmulater cases in order to avoid waste of electricity. After pa tient researches, fragile non-conducting substances being set aside, cases were at length produced which have given en- tire satisfaction, made of special gutta percha prepared by one of our manufac- turers. After having made prepara- tory trip to ascertain that all was working properly on board, and taken some very satisfactory plunges, the Gymnote re- entered the harbor, and her arcumula- tors were charged. At noon of the sec ond day she was made ready by hermet- ically closing the panel giving admis- sion to the interior, which was not to be opened till four hours later.
 The Gymote was accompanied by steam launch which had instructions to keep ont of the way any boat which might come up. On getting to the place selected for the trials every thing was put in order for the plunge. Then, when all was ready, on an order given by the commandant, Naval Lieutenant Baudry la Cantinerie, the boat was set in motion by gently working the hori- zontal rudder. The vessel bent down in front, descending slowly. Soon noth- ing could be seen but paddle and portion of the screw above water. Then all disappeared. It had been arranged beforehand that the boat should stop at about two meters fifty centimeters below the surface of the water. It was found easy to remain there, with variations of about twenty centimeters. As regards direction, the gyroscope gave it with mathematical precision. The length of the course was estimated by the number of turns of the screw, and in this way it was known when the limit of the deep water was reached.
 ''Ihe Gymnote next returned to the surface, passed round a mark, and took a plunge in the opposite direction. At half-past three o'clock the maritime prefcct came to be present at the trial. The Gymnote awaited him on the sur face of the water. As soon as she saw the Admiral's steam launch she plunged again under water and took three runs, prolonging her course as far as the depth of water in the roads would per init. She remained more than ten min utes under water. The Gymnote does not leave on the surface any trace of her passage, and is quite invisible when painted gray. On this occasion coat ing of white paint had been given her, so as to permit of her course being seen under the water. A little after four o'clock the Gymnote returned to the Vauban dock, and the air in the in- terior was as easily breathed as at her departure. There was still electricity enough in the accumulators to last fol hours"