The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-08-21
IheAemorrat-S ST.,
NOVELTY IN BOAT BoTTovs
MADE OF GLASS TO AFFORD . a..
MARINE VIEW.

The principle III the wate,
so lung used by fishermen r.
the presence Of fish far below ~ As
face OF the water, has been suc.ss' w.
ly applied to the CONSTITUENTS
pleasure boat. VA
AN lS-Ioot naphtha launch -.
glass bottom has been construes.a
a Newfoundland genius, and thu ).
pertinent has proved a success ~ ! q. 9
extent that occupants Of the boat. =.
while cruising about, see distiucll,. y
jects Many feet below the sur,,,. y
the sen sOI
The little craft darts evs,.
through the water Of Trinity
Newfoundland, aud creates ~ n.y.,
wonder and speculation amoo. -
supplemented natives as wnulS ~. ~
appearance of a strange fish. 4, n, y
ent the little glass bottomed c,an !.
used by Its owner and inventor ,Imn,
for pleasure and an amateurs s,nds !,
the mysteries and c~uriosities j, ~
waters Of the bay.
But Pierre St. Felix, the inv.,,,.
and owner Of this curious craf, :.
poets to make a comfortable li,l,.
out OF II. He has had the idea n, h.
boat ever since as Il fisher Ind :,
Catalina, he made his first water.ul,..
by setting a bit 0: window-glass IN n.
bottom Of a rusty tin can. He no,joa
how when he put this glass bottom.d
can below the surface Of the water. \
as to avoid %refractlon, he could i.
many feet deep into the depths Of N.
water. As he leaned over the side Il
his boat looking into the water un,rl
he was stiff in the back, little Pier,
thought what a good idea it would n
II he could fix his glass in the boat.
bottom so that he could see the wate,
without bending over. lie kept his
idea to himself, however, and II va.
not until the present year, when he i
a grown man with many years OF ey.
periencc with the danger OF the rough
sea, that he sees his idea a reality.
and one that is likely to carry him
past the necessity Of dangerous work
forever.
The greater part OF the IS feet Of
St. Felix's boat on the bottom is taken
up with the glass. 1t is arranged ID
three divisions, fitted close with strps
Of heavy leather at the edges to DIE.
vent leaking. The glass is au inch
thick.
Ranged along the length OF the boat,
so as to inclosc the glass on every side,
there are fixed chairs, arranged in
position so that u sitter may 0k
downward without the slightest e.
fort. Catalina is sixty miles north Of
ISt. Johns and every year many yid.
tors have been in the habit OF going
there for no other purpose than to
look into the water through the rough
water-glasscs Of the fishermen. The
water of the bay is particularly clear,
and under ordinary conditions a depth
OF Is feet can be examined. With The
completion of his boat St. Felix imDc
diately monopolized the greater mum
her OF visitors, and many curious
sights were seen. The bay ah0uuds
in curious fish. for close to the shore
there are more than $4,000 varieties
Hammcrhead sharks keep just beyond
the reach OF those who hunt for them,
sw0rdaSh sport gayly about, and rs
seen through the bottom of 81. Felix's
water boat make q strange contrast
to the shoals Of Goldfish. Far down
below the multitude of fish the grea'
beds OF seawecd wave 10 graceful FOLDS
making a background for the Signs
above.
Aside from its possibilities as
unique pleasure craft, the GLASGOW
toned boat IS OF immense advantags
to scientists, who can by means ,
make uninterrupted observations o.
marine life as it exists in Its natural
state below the surface Of the sea- ~
clear, calm water, objects far DsO.
the surface can be distinctly set' a''
motion noticed. Where the presses.
OF any one in Il divers arnOF xous
brighten the fish and prevent ID"
tended study OF their ways tue ElaS
bottomcd boat creates 10 alarm ANU
the finny dcnlzcns Of the deeh
apparently unaware that they
lng observed and studied from aOV'