The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-06
SAILING UNDER WATER.
The Ingenious Boat of Wisconsin In
ventor
New York Times. !

90 q SSll1oS Ills GIcdU WOIh lSsIOU luGICly
in the experimental stage Definite,
practical results have been obtained, and
the vessel that is the embodiment of his
ideas has been tested and proved.
About ten years ago Mr.. Raddatz, then
student at college, conceived the idea
of constructing submarine boat, one
that would be thoroughly practical.
He became thoroughly impressed, and
devoted all his time and energy to the
work. His preparation was most pains
taking and comprehensive. He studied
and experimental unremittingly, and de-
voured all scientific works in point that
he could obtain, and mastered in detail
the mechanism and construction of every
submarine vessel, either in this or for
eign countries, of which there is record.
About year ago, whenshe had formed
number OF original ideas and had
reached the conclusion that he was pre-
pared to build a successful boat the
young inventor unfolded his plans to
unmher of Oshkosh men and secured
capital to build wooden boat, which,
If it proved successful, was to be the
model OF one to be constructed later on.
The building of the boat was com
menced, operations being carried on in
very quiet manner so as not to arouse
public curiosity and thus delay the
work. Finally the boat was completed
and launched, and with the exception
that 1T leaked, worked to the satisfaction
of the inventor. He then determined to
build steel boat the following year,
and having interested few of his most
intimate friends in the matter, work was
begun in the spring. Only the best ma
terial was used and Mr.. Raddatz superin-
tended the work himaelf Some of the
ceaa;s,tlng was done in this city, some in
MliWaukee, some in Chicago and New
York, and a small amount in Paris,
France. Operations, as before, were car
RED GU wholly in secret, only few per-
sonal friends of the inventor knowing
it, and these dou biting the capabilities
OF the boat. The ship was at last COM
pleted, and then came the Hateful day
when the test was to be made. 10 g.
Alone Raddatz made the first trip
The awkward-looking craft sank from
sight and the spectators were in an
agony of suspense for what seemed an
interminable period, until it again rose,
some distance from the point of sub.
merslon. Other voyages followed, and
after time the courageous inventor had
surface of the water until ten descents
in all, each attended by trip of more
or less length, had been made In all
the boat was handled very easily and
to advantage, SO that it's utility and prac-
ticability have been amply demonstrate
ed.
1t is fifty feet long, four feet wide and
highest part. 1t is made of five-six-
tcenths inch soft steel, of great strength
and toughness, riveted ION to an angle
iron framework, with double-riveted
seams, and was built to operate at a
depth of 500 feet, being about eight times
the depth an ordinary diver would care to
visit, and nearly three times the depth
ever attained by human beings. The
ship is therefore capable. of visiting the
bottom at all parts Of Lake Michigan,
with two exceptions-Two River Basin,
sos feet deep, and Racine-G Grand Haven
Basin, $50 feet deep. At the front of the
boat is solid spur. three feet long, and
weighing some 500 pounds A similar
casting at the stern contains the propeller
shaft and its water-tight stuffing box,
as well as the thrust block of the ship
The shell is composed essentially of
three parts, a cylindrical body and two
conical ends. At the top of the cyli n
drical body is dome two feet in diane
ter inside, in which are eight windows,
commanding every part of the horizon,
and search light of 20, 600 candle power
some 500 feet ahead Of the ship, clearly
illuminating the path of the, ship, and
thereby avoiding all danger of collisions
with rocks and other obstacles, and en-
aiding the steersman to find and aslis-
tinguish objects on the bottom, for which
he mag or may not be1ooking.
The dome is surmounted by an eigh-
teen-inch air-tight manhead and cover.
A rudder at the stern and few small
holes on the side complete what can be
seen from the outside. Inside every
thing is made light as day by three in
candescent lamps of high candle power,
kept burning continuously, and numer-
Gus small lamps placed over different
machines, whose functions are to illumi-
nate. The principal and most complicat-
ed machines in the boat are the series of
the different parts of the air machine
These subject the air to threefold pro-
cess, the first being the chemical, the
machine, a series of tanks, chambers,
tubes &C., for this operation being stu
ated in the extreme bow Of the boat
From the chemical tanks the air is car
ried to a machine, where it is subjected
first to mechano-chemical process and
then to mechanical operation, after
which it is carried to the electrical ma
chine, where it is electrified and other
wise electrically purified and rendered fit
for inspiration.
AhACh olAiS Aeto bSOIl SpOAU uPOu UnG dlE
machinery by the inventor, who has
produced correspondingly perfect ma
chine, which can keep the air in the ship
in pure and healthy condition for d
period of twenty-four hours if necessary,
and at cost Of about $2 The ship is
propelled by means of twenty -four-inch
screw wheel, thirty-six finch variable
pitch, which is driven direct by Fan cleo
tro motor, running at 1900 revolutions
per minute. Means of raising and sink
ing the boat are afforded by hydraulic
machines. These machines are of the best
steel, and were wrought and tempered
in France, and are capable of standing
about 5000 pounds hydraulic pressure
per square inch and working ordinarily
at pressure of from 2,OOJ to 5000
pounds per square inch. These machines
are capable of raising the fifteen tons
weight:of the.ship with amazing rapidly
and lowering the ssame with equal dis
patch, the rate of ascent and descent be-
ing always under absolute control ,as is
the speed at which the boat runs. An
automatic machine controls with GER
tainty the depth at which the ship is to
run, and sustains it at constant depth
to within half an inch, and when, once
set, requires no further attention from
the SteerSmap An automatic machine