The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-23
BAKERS DEADLY BOAT.
a SUBMARINE TORPEDO VESSELS
AWFUL CAPACITY.

AWFUL CAPACITY.
The Egg-shsDed Wooden Craft Being
Fitted Out Near Detroit-Built on the
LINES of Verne's Imaginative Sea
Deliver and Likely to Revolutionize
Naval Warfare-Its Construction and
WeapOns-Governmental Eyes on
the Boat-The Story of Test Trip.
From the Chicago Tribune
l DETROIT, MICH, April 20-A submarine
torpedo boat is now lying in the river near
the City Of Detroit with her electrical
machinery all in place. For more than a
year j, was building without a person out
side " its promoters and builders knowing
for what use it was intended The secret
finally leaked out. The river was searched
in every direction and the egg-shaped craft
finally located in the River Rouge a few
miles below the city, with but its smoke
stack and ventilators sticking few inches
above the water, in hiding.
The boat is 30 feet long 10 feet beam, IA
feet depth, rs tons displacement, and is
built of Finch oak planking painted red
! When in port among friends its telescope
stack and ventilators will be elevated and a
railing fixed in place for the convenience Of
the crew.
The engine and boiler aud smokestack are
in use solely for charging the storage bat
terry or for surface navigation in port. The
machinery Is pronounced by marine men a
marvel of strength and beauty. The vessel
lies flush with the surface when ready for
a start, its telescope snokestack shortened
to few inches in length, the rail line gone,
its manhole but wart with glass eyes and
body beneath the surface. The enemy is
now seen afar off. All openings are closed
automatically aud the electrical machinery
is started. A 50-horse power Jenney
motor is set in motion by
230 storage battery cells, and
the two screws, which are placed latterly,
start the boat forward In this position,
submerged to the surface line, it has taken
in its maximum amount of water ballast
and now comes the display of a new idea
in screws-an idea on which MIR. Baker
most prides himself. The screws are on
double joints, which can be tipped upward
or downward by the operator. The upper
edge of the screw now tips forward the
boat, and with swift revolutions it's sinks
steadily until the required depth is OBJ
tanned, when they are given as near an
"even keel" as may be necessary to hold it
steady, and the boat moves forward toward
the enemy at the rate of ten miles an hour
which IL can keep up for four hours, COM
pressed air supplying the crew of three
men. Should such an unlikely thing ever
occur that it has more than 40-mile run,
it can rise to the surface and start the gas
engine.
THE BOATS POWERFUL TORPEDO.
The torpedo is of unique construction and
contains no less a charge than 100 pounds
Of dynamite. When placed in position
under or near an iron.clad it can remain
there suspended to the ships bottom or in
the water for half an hour or longer if de
sired. at the will of the operator, This
cBrtridge when placed in the water will
sink about four feet and remain there. The
highly magnetized iron will cause it to ad-
here to the bottom of the iron-clad, and be-
ing submerged it will be very difficult to
get at it.
An ordinary wet batting fuse is used. AS
soon as the water comes in contact with the
batting the torpedo explodes. The time
between its immersion and the explosion of
the torpedo being known, affords basis of
safe calculation tor the escape OF the boat
from within the sweep Of the explosive
force The torpedo is fired from the tube
by electricity.
The Michigan Electrical Company of this
city has now put in place the last pieces of
the vessels electrical machinery, and pri-
vate tests have already been made that it is
alleged, practically settles the great ques-
tion of naval warfares. This statement is,
if true of import so vast and far reaching
that experts hesitate to make 1t. If this
craft equals its owners expectations in the
future as it has done up to date, the navies
of the world, with :hetr guns and massive
armors, will be but playthings to this little
wooden boat, and naval warfare with the
country possessing 1t would be impossible.
GOVERNMENTAL EYES ON THE VESSEL.
While Mr.. Baker laughs at it. it is be-
lieved the United States government Is che
boats sponsor, and is keeping a close eye
on its work. 1t is understood that officials
of the navy department will be present at
the public trial trip
The Tribune correspondent was fortunate
enough to receive an invitation from Mr..
Baker to accompany him on a submarine
trip, with the crew of two men. The party
entered the boat, the coming tower was
closed, the automatically closing smoke
stack and ventilator were dropped flush
with the deck the water ballast was taken
in the lateral screw started by the pressure
of an electric button, and boat and occu-
pants sank beneath the surface. Electricity
made the interior OF the boat light as day.
The boat sank twelve feet, when the screws
were given nearly an even keel, and the
boat darted forward at a speed of eight
miles an hour. There was no noise, Earring
or trembling, the boat moving like a live
thing. The maneuverinR space in the River
Rouge is limited, and the run consisted of
than half mile in length. The instant the
screws were stopped the boat shot to the
surface, only to sink again like a fash
when the screws were started at the proper
angles.
There is doubt in Mr.. Bakers mind about
the torpedo to be used. As regards this Mr..
Baker will give out no information except
TO say that he has new idea. which, he
asserts, carried out, will give a torpedo
superior to any now known. He as yet has
no patent on it. He says the tube will fire
the Whitehead or Howell torpedo as we'll as
his own.
Mr.. Baker believes he has solved every
problem Of submarine propulsion and tor
pedo firing, and that two or three of his
boats could protect the biggest harbor in
the world from the finest navy afoat.
While minor changes are being made
daily, the Baker boat is nearly ready for
final trial. which will be made somewhere
on the Detroit river, at a point not yet
| selected In about two weeks