The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-21
JERSEY PLANS TAKEN
New Submarine Vessel to
Be Built After a Newark
Mans Drawings.
TORpEDoES FIRED UNDER WATER
The Boat Can Be Perfectly Con-
trolled Rising or Diving or in
Either Vertical or Hor-
rlzontal Position.

.sThe Jersey City News" announced on
Wednesday that Secretary Herbert had
decided to build the submarine boat
authorized by Congress after the design
of John P. Holland of Newark.
Mr. Holland is member of the New
York concern known as the John P. Hol-
land Torpedo Boat Company, and it has
been decided by Secretary Herbert to
have the contract drawn up at once, and
it is hoped that the vessel VIII be ready
for experiments before the end of next
year.
Some years ago Congress. decided that
a submarine boat would be good thing
to have, and 100000 was appropriated
for the purpose, with the understanding
that $4,000 of the amount would be re-
served for experimenting with the pro-
posed boat In 1887 bids were advertised
for, with one competition, and again in
1883 proposals We're asked for. Once
more, in 1885, advertisements allowing
three competitions were sent out. Upon
every occasion Mr.. Holland submitted
plans, each time with slight modifica-
tions.
Mr.. Holland had not yet heard that
his plans had met the approval of the
authorities, Wednesday evening, but
when told that this was the case he ap-
peared very much pleased and took the
trouble to describe the proposed boat.
1t is to be made of steel and will be
eighty-two and half feet long, twelve
feet deep, with beam OF ten and half
feet The displacement when submerged
will be about $50 tons. On the surface
it is to have about 1,400-h horse power, and
at such times will be propelled by steam.
The boat when submerged is to be pro-
PEELED by storage batteries and motors,
and Mr.. Holland says it will be quite
easy to run it for six hours beneath
the surface of the water at the rate of
seven or eight knots an nour Sixteen
knots an hour on the surface is what
the advertisements require, and this the
lucky bidder declares his boat will be
quite capable of.
RAPID DIVING AND RISING.
Rapid diving and rising. with perfect
control Of the boat in either a vertical
or horizontal position, are also required,
and by taking the contract MIR. Holland
agrees to these conditions, which mean
SC much in the construction of the yes-
sci Should It prove a success, and Mr.
Holland is confident that it win. the
used when the hull is three feet under
water ana nothing Of it can be seen
except eighteen inches of the turret,
whicn VIII hardly be perceptible at a
u T.4w 10 its conceaiment. TIE turret,
Of course. is to be of armor and about
eight inches thick. In case. the boat
should be running along on the surface
OF the water and it should be desired
to submerge it the turret would be
shipped and the aperture made water
tight. Then in less than two minutes
twenty tons of water would be taken
in through valves made for the pur-
pose. and the vessel. of course, would
begin 10 sink. The twenty tons, how
ever, would have six-tenths of a ton
buoyancy, and this would be overcome
by the horizontal rudders. and down qhe
boat would go. The depth is regulated
by either automatic machinery or man
ual labor and the water taken aboard
is distributed in chambers about the
vessel.
To prevent, while under water, the
suffoeation of any of the crew. which
will probably consist of seven persons,
seventy cubic feet of air with 1000
pounds pressure to the square inch, will
be stored in reservoirs and allowed to
expand as it may be required. Should
it be necessary to get to the surface
in a hurry the twenty tons of water
would be blown out by compressed air
and in ten seconds the boat would be
skimming along the surface of the water
again. If there should be no hurry
TO get up, ana II SlOui0 only De neceS-
sary. to get "the bearings" the water
would be pumped out and by manip-
ulation of the machinery the bow OF
the boat would be pointed upward In
this way the daylight would soon break
on the eyes CT the men on board.
HAS NO FEAR OF FAILURE.
The object in having such a vessel is
obvious IT would be possible to send it
out of sight and thus approach an en-
emy's vessel Then torpedo twelve feet
long and eighteen inches in diameter
vessel with most disastrous results to it.
These torpedoes, when sent from the
tubes from which they are discharged.
are supposed to move at the rate of
thirty miles an hour and have range
of from 800 to 1,000 yards. One Of them,
Mr.. Holland said. would be sufficient to
blow a ship to pieces. Only five will
be carried at time on the proposed
boat, which is not to have a ram.
1t is by no means certain, Mr.. Holland
said, that the boat win be built at New
contract, he said, he would advertise for
bids and sublet the contract to the low
est acceptable bidder. The vessel when
turned over to the Government is to be
complete and ready for the experiments
with the exception of the placing of the
torpedo tubes. These. as well as the
torpedoes, are to be supplied by the
Government. Mr. Holland win be oblig-
ed to furnish bonds to the amount of
$4,000, and should the authorities re-
fuse to ACCEPT the vessel for any reason
after it shall have been completed the
loss would fall on Mr.. Holland, but this
gives him no fear, for he has already
built, or caused to be constructed. four
torpedo boats, which satisfied him that
his scheme was practicable, although
none of the boats was made on such an
elaborate scale as will be the one which
the Government now wants.
Mr.. Holland Is q man of medium height
and Is about forty years old. He has
broad. high forehead, and wears glasses.
The manner IN which he talks of business
convinces a listener that the designer is
fhnrnnghlY cnnYarSant with Ii