The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-17
JULES vERNE's DREAM.
His Famous Nautilus is Now a Liv-
ing Reality
From the Oh 'cago Times.

rum tue IN CdSO AlIl6s
Oshkosh, Wis, Aug. 2S.-The Rodoatz
submarine boat, about which much has
already been said, is now undergoing
regular tests, and the claims of the in
ventor are generally allowed TO be Just by
those who have seen the craft in opera
ton. still the claim made some time ago
That the boat had reached and been sue
cessfully operated at a depth of about
thirty feet, the deepest water in this
vicinity, seems 10 have been doubted To
put This doubt at rest, the inventor gave
another exhibition a day or two ago, at
winch all doubts were set at rest.
Inc boat was propelled out into the
river to spot where a depth of thirty
teet has been found to exist-by sounding
with tap-lipe-and at 4:35 o'clock the
craft disappeared beneath the waves
Inc bottom was reached in one minute.
the machinery controlling the descent
having force of 100 pounds in excess of
the natural buoyancy of the snip, which
IS about 1000 at all times. The tempera-
lure OF the air inside the ship was u
degrees and remained constant at this
within one-half degree during the entire
experiment, which lasted about half an
hour. The air in the ship was all that could
De desired and was delivered in pure con-
ulJlon and In proper quantities for res
plraLlon, there beipg none of the close,
oppressive feelings usually experienced by
occupants OF a small and confined air
space, their entire absence being due to a
peculiar process of electrihcation to which
the air is subjected after being chemically
purlhed, a process which is original aud
was hrst applied TO the air in this ship
ana which has proved entirely safe and
satisfactory throughout the numerous
tests and experiments made this
summer The interior of the
ship IS lighted by means of
Edison low potential incandescent
lamps OF small size, giving little heat and
consuming no air while burning. Elec-
trlclty Tor operating the lamps as well as
most OF the other electrical appliances on
board IS furnished by primary and stor-
age batteries which are placed in a sep
arate room forward of the coming tower
and directly under this latter are placed
the various gauges, valves, levers, indi-
Gators, etc., to control not only the cleo
trlc current, but also the action of ma
chimes In different parts of the ship. In
TINS coming tower are placed the eight
windows commanding every point of the
compass and enabling the captain of the
ship, who IS stationed here, to readily
see where he is going, both on or beneath
the surface
At the depth of thirty feet. at which
the ship now rested little could be seen
without the aid of artificial light, as the
light of the sun Illuminated the bottom
mpertectly, the water of the river being
IN an unusually transparent condition
at this season of the year. In the dome
is also placed a powerful search light
which IN reasonably clear water lights ap
the path Of the ship some hundreds of
feet ahead. The ship was finally raised
to within twenty feet af the surface and
then held suspended motionless in the
water for quarter of an hour, during
which time 1T did not vary its depth as
much as an inch. Observations were
made through the pil0thouse windows
and showed the water more transparent
than at the bottom or at the surface, and
although the shadowy outlines of some
hsh were seen further away none
were seen near the boat as it again
slowly assembled until within fifteen
feet OF the surface, where the
gray tinge of daylight prevailing in the
depths began gradually increasing in in
tensity until depth of five feet there was
sufficient light to read, and within two
feet of the surface the water was lighted
up by the suns rays until it resembled a
solid mass of bright transparent gold
from which the ship broke at :07 O'Clock,
having been submerged thirty-two min
utes During that time all machines
seemed to operate in satisfactory man
ner, and whether at depth/ of ten or
thirty feet the inmates of the ship expe-
rienced no discomfort. Were It not for
the manometers, which plainly indicated
the depth of the ship beneath the surface,
and the almost entire absence of light in
the water it would be hard to believe
that one was far beneath the waves, with
boats darting around on the surface
above and far beyond the reach of the
strongest storms that have ever swept
these waters.
The shin was put together in this city
last summer and successfully tested to
withstand the pressure due to depth of
500 feet. 1t carries on board a tested ma
chine powerful enough to bring it up from
a depth of 6l0 feet were the shell of the
ship strong enough to stand the pressure
at this depth Some of the hydraulic
gauges We're furnished by a New York
firm. but most of the apparatus was made
to order by the piece and set together in
this city. some of the parts coming from
France, One OF the small electric motors
was made for the ship by the Auburn
Manufacturing Company, while the others
were cast in Milwaukee and Chicago and
wound in this city. The ship has been
under water for three and one-half hours
at stretch, ond the air machines have
been worked twenty-four hours without
cessation, and there is little doubt that
the ship could remain that length of time
under water were it necessary.