The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-11
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Plan of The Baker Submarine Boat.

pressure, or at will, and two vertical rud-
ders worked by the usual appliances. The
power is electricity, which steers. propels
and lights the boat. The propeller is four
bladed and the shaft connects directly with
the armature of the motor. The estimated
speed is ten knots for six hours.
A series of experiments was made to as
certain whether the boat could escape from
and re-enter harbor Dlockaded by torpedo
boats, which were on the lookout for her.
At the appointed hour she went down for
forty minutes. during which time she crossed
the line without being observed and came
TO the surface two miles and half beyond
il. In returning she passed Immediately
under one of the boats ard was seen for an
instant but not distinctly enough TO be
pursued.
The Goubet. another French boat. has a
hull Of cannon bronze made In one casting
which weighed five tons. Oxygen, COM
pressed at a pressure of seventy atmos-
pheres, is supplied for breathing. Her crew
of two men was Dramatically sealed in the
hui for eight hours, the boat being SUBJ
merged to n depth of thirty-three feet, and
the only communication with the surface
being telephone. At the end of the time
the men were found to have experienced no
discomfort Since that time naval officers
have frequently been sent down to familiar
iZe them with the mysteries Of submarine
navigation.
The Spanish boat Peral is one OF the best
known of the torpedo-b0ats for snbsurface
work. Electricity on the storage battery
principle is what she depends upon for all
purposes. She carries sufficient air TO en-
able her crew to remain under water two
days. and has device. similar to camera
lucida, for purposes OF observation when
running near the surface. This boat in
wolves no new principles. hardly fulfills the
conditions promised by its designer and
throws but little light upon the question OF
submarine navigation.
The Peacemaker, experimental with in
the Hudson River some six months ago.
was in many instances an Improvement
over numbers of similar craft of earlier
make. She had pair of horizontal rudders
at her bow for submerging her, When in
rapid motion, tile moment her engines
stopped she rose to the surface. When not
in motion she was submerged by taking in
or forcing out water ballast. A fin ex-
tended fore and aft on the upper part Of the
boat to guard the coming tower from col
lision.
A depression ia the in between the man.
hole and the dome was intended to afford
holding place for the boat when under
vessels keel while releasing torpedoes. By
inserting his arm In one of the indiarubber
sleeves abaft the dome the captain cuuld
release the torpedoes by means of trip
ping device outside the boat Near the
middle Of the boat lie q steam boiler, abaft
which is the engine. Electricity on the
Storage-battery principle was nrst tried as
the motor power, but it was replaced by
freless boiler and 14-h0rse-power engine.
She was an easy boat to guide. either when
at the surface or below, and, for the length
OF time she was running, was always able
to keep up sufficient steam 10 keep her
readily under control.
The latest craft for underwater work.
and one that promises to develop more sat
isfactorily than any of the others. Is the
Baker boat that has recently appeared in
Detroit. 1t contains within its shell fur
mace, boiler, steam-engine. motor dynamo
and storage batteries. The steam plant Is
to drive the dynamo as an electrical gen.
orator, and in this way have q means Of
charging the battery. The smokestack
when the fires are burning stands erect. but
when they are drawn it telescopes into the
boat.
Water admitted or elected controls the
submergence Of the boat. When under
water no discomfort has been felt from want
of air. 1t Is said to be very warm inside
the boat even when the air Is chilly at the
surface. The pumping in Of the water
ballast congresses the air Ia the boat at
times to en- uncomfortable degree and
makes IL necessary to lift the turret and
allow some of the air to escape.