Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11


could be made, using the superheated steam
and water contained in the reservoirs and
boiler. The ordinary coal supply was eight
tons, enabling 1000 miles to be made at
eight knots, and additional coal could be
carried in three cold water ballast tanks.
Besides the main compound engines there
were others for sinking, steering, pumping,
driving fans, etc. The speed of the two
vertically placed screws used to submerge
the boat could be regulated independently to
maintain horizontal position. The Nor
denfelt was eventually bought by the Rus
sian government, subject to certain condi-
tons. but on her way to Cronstadt she ran
ashore, and was afterward sold as old iron
and broken up.
According to a description published In
1855, a submarine torpedo boat named the
Porpoise, with which an English inventor,
]. F. Waddington, made a number Of exper-
iments, was thirty-seven feet long and six
feet six inches in diameter amidships, ia
pering to point at each end and was pro-
PEELED by electricity stored in cells connect
ed in series to an electro-motor capable OF
driving the propeller about $50 revolutions
per minute The maximum speed was eight
knots; it was claimed that this could be
maintained for ten hours. Compressed air
was carried in two compartments. the sup
ply being sufficient for two men for six
hours. When in motion this small craft
could be forced up or down, remaining on
an even keel by two large horizontal rud-
ders or wings fitted at the middle Of the
teal motion when the boat was not under
way. There were also horizontal and verti-
cal steering rudders at the stern.
The Fate of the Perai.
In Spain submarine torpedo boat named
the Peral was launched in September, 1888.
She was designed by Lieut.. Peral of the
Spanish navy. Her shape was similar to
that Of the Whitehead torpedo. but the
cross-section was ogival. She was seventy
of nine feet six inches and a displacement
of eighty-six tons. The motive power was
electricity. To charge her accumulators. or
eral days, and under the most favorable
circumstances it could not be accomplished
in less than eighteen hours. The estimated
speed was eleven knots at the surface.
The air supply was said to be sufficient to
enable the crew of six persons to remain
under water for six days. She was fitted
to use Whitehead torpedoes.
Inventors trials of the Peral took place
in 1889, concerning which very favorable
accounts appeared in Spanish newspapers.
But the official report of tests made before
a trial board in 1890 indicated that the re-
suits hoped for had rot been fully achieved
1t was recommended that a larger boat
should be built for the purpose Of enabling
Lieut.. Peral to continue mis- experiments,
but this recommendation was not carried
out, as the designer failed To agree to Ger
tain prescribed conditions.
Three submarine beats. the merits Of
which have been much discussed in France
within the past five years. are the Goubet
the Gymnote and the Gustave Zede, the
last named being simply an enlarged and
perfected Gymnote.
The Goubet has hull Of cannon bronze,
which was made in one casting, weighing
five tons, the finished hull weighing but
two and sixty-fve hundredths tons. The
length is about eighteen feet and the max
imum diameter five feet. For breathing
mn CT of
fifty atmospheres Is carried in a steel reser-
voir. the supply being sufficient for fifty
hours. The deleterious products of respira-
ton are absorbed 10 some extent by means
of chemical agents, besides which there IS
an air pump to remove the foul air. The
boat has considerable reserve of bLo.an
and is submerged by admitting water to
tanks or compartments, which can be
emptied by suitable pumps when 1t is de-
sired to return to the surface.
There is also a safety weight, which can
tricity is employed to propel the boat, the
current for the motor which drives the
screw being derived from accumuiators, or
storage cells The maximum speed Is only
about five knots. Oars are fitted, and II
needed can be used by the two men forming
the crew BY means of a universal Joint
the propeller is made to do duty as rudder
also. A special feature of the Goubet Is
the device for maintaining the trim OF the
boat, which has a water tank at each end
for this purpose. Should either end become
depressed the motion of pendulum throws
a pump into action in such a way that
water is drawn from the tank which hap
pens at the moment to be the lower one Of
the two and is discharged into the other
tank. The sighting apparatus consists OF an
optical tube surrounding very small tur-
ret and when at the surface is scarcely per-
ceptible at little distance unless the water
be perfectly smooth, A torpedo to he fired
by electricity can be carried outside the
boat and can be detached at will, connec-
ton with 1t being maintained by means OF
a long wire carried on a reel within the
boat, which would withdraw after placing
torpedo under the bottom of an enemy's
ship. effecting the explosion when at a safe
distance.
Eight Hours Under Water.
1t was intended that in approaching
hostile ship to make an attack the Goubet
should continue at the surface, with her
turret out Of water, as long as might be
deemed prudent, and should then advance
still closer, with only the optical tube ex-
posed, finally descending, the bearing of the
ship having been noted, and thereafter
steering by compass. 1t was thought, how
ever, that this type of boat, If supplied to
ships. would prove more useful in operating
against submarine mines than In attacking
an enemy'S vessels.
The nrst official trial of the Goubet was
made at Cherpourg in May, 1889, to test the
system of aeration. The boat was SUBJ
crew of two men being in telephone COM
munication with the surface. The test was
continued for eight hours, and could have
been prolonged much further, the men ex-
periencing ne discomfort and there being
a large reserve supply of oxygen. The nu-
merous trials which took place during the
next two years were described in glowing
terms by French newspapers. 1t would
appear, however, that the claims advanced
with so much enthusiasm were scarcely
warranted by the facts, since in the formal
report of a naval board on a series Of elab-
crate tests in May and June, 1881, 1t was
asserted that these trials throw no light
on the ability of the boat to steer direct
course under water"
The minister of marine, IN an Official
statement, afterwards expressed the opinion
that NJ. Goubet the inventor, had demon
strated successfully o. that the boat was
habitable, (D that it could be immersed at
will, when stationary. to a required depth,
and 90 that at the surface 1t was under
perfect control and could lie Unanswered
at a speed OF 3 or knots. But he added
that the boat had not yet been navtsated
satisfactorily under water in the presence
of an official board, all efforts in this direc-
ton having failed.
The Gymnote, launched at Toulon in
September 1883, has given very promising
results on her trials and The minister of
marine has stated to the chamber Of depu-
ties that in his opinion her designer had
solved in q satisfactory manner the prob
lem of submarine navigation, 1t having been
demonstrated that this boat, although only