The morning call., 1893-02-04
SUBMARINE BOATS.
Several Which Nearly Approach the
Desired Standard.

No submarine boat yet built has fully
reached the required standard, but few
have given much promise, and excited great
hope OF development into high degree of
effectiveness. Chief among these is the
French boat "Gymnote," designed by Naval
Constructor Zede, steel, cigars shaped
propeller vessel, driven by electricity. and
carrying an outside torpedo to be exploded
by an electric current sent from the boat
This vessel has made eleven miles an hour
when fully submerged, aud has remained
continuously under water fer eight hours.
A reflection of whatever is upon the surface
in the vicinity of tile submerged boat Is
carried down through kind OF telescope,
aad enables the operators to handle the
vessel as readily and intelligenily as if they
themselves were upon the surface. For the
present the French authorities are keeping
the boat as secret as possible How service
able The boat would be- ia actual warfare
cannot yet be even guessed
a submarine boat invented by Lieutenant
Peral Of the Spanish navy has been tested
at CadlZ with good results. This vessel is
also cigar-shaped, and is propelled by twin
screws driven by electricity. The torpedo
used is of the Whitehead pattern, which by
internal machinery propels itself toward
the object al which Il is directed, and is
exploded when 1t strikes. The Peral has
made six miles an hour, and has remained
submerged for as much as three hours and
a half. How it is made and how il works
have not been told.
Before the recent construction of the
GymnOte and neral. the Nordenfelt boat,
designed by the inventor of a noted maya
Ziue-Run. was considered tile most pTomis-
ing. This boat is rounded at the center,
with the ends taperlng TO upright wedges.
l. is propelled by 2 screw driven by 4 steam
HngIuR III l. Su bmprun1 and TaisaI hV Ia L
Ing in or forcing out water ballast and its
mixing or rising is aided By upright screws.
Flat Tudders al the bow prevent the dipping
of stem or stern. The boat, in its latest
form, has shown great SeawOrihiueSs. and
when submerged has reached a speed of
over twelve miles an hour. Though depend
ing upon the natural supply Of air. the BOAT
IS able to remain long time under water
without coming 10 the surface. The torpedo
used Is the Whitehead already mentioned.
Lieutenant HOvgaard of the Danish navy
is the designer Of a boat Intended 10 be
propelled by electricity when submerged
and by steam upon the surface. Its sub
merging and descending are governed by
upright OrOpelers with thrpsLng motion.
Il IS meant for long stay under water, and
its mechanism is to be largely self-acting-
an important safeguard against a sudden
! and fatal plunge to the bottom.
An English boat. the invention OF civil
engineer named Ash, differs from others In
| being so made as to sink, so long as the
| downward motion is not arrested By the
pushing out OF metal cylinders arranged In
row on each side of the boat and charged
with compressed air This cylinder ar
| rangement IS remarkably simple and in
GeniOus, but actual trials Of the boat have
not been encouraging.
The Peacemaker is an American boat, de-
signed by a resident of San Francisco
named Tuck. Its shape is that of an
elongated oval. The motive power is steam,
the boiler being heated by coal fire while
on the surface, and by caustic soda after
submergence. The means of descent and
ascent are Of an ordinary kind-namely,
watsr-ballast and side rudders. Compressor
air, purified by chemical process. is supplied
to the crew. Two buoyant torpedoes.
coupled together, are fioated under the keel
of the ship to be destroyed, and magnets are
attached TO them to make them hold to the
steel plates. They are then exploded by an
electric current from the boat. In an actual
river trial at New York this boat has N ade
eight miles per hour, and has remained
below the surface for half an hour.