The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-20

creature of his fancy, and in course Of
time il was completed and loaded for
shipment to Chicago. On the car it
| weighed $4,000 pounds. Inserted in the
| bottom was a short steel shaft two
| inches in diameter. To this was to be
| attached weight to sink the box. The
| box was shipped to Chicago and prep
arations were made to test the ma
| chine off that city, but since the chart
showed a maximum depth of 20 feet
| Milwaukee was chosen.
In the Beer City preparations for
| testing the Schon bell were completed
| by Mr.. Lutz, Schon and Samuel Har-
| per. Mr.. Lutz's representative. Float
| ing and towing equipment was secured
| and a preliminary test was decided
| upon The scientists of the city said
that one could not remain under water
| in that space longer than 80 to go min
| utes They figured that PIG cubic feet
| of air would be consumed in that time,
| but Schon, when he went down in ii for
test, stayed three hours, smoked,
burned matches, and watched sewerage
of the city float past him, and then
only came up because he was tired
staying down.
With this point settled, the more i'm
portant one, whether or not the vessel
could Withstand the pressure of deep
water, was the concern of the friends
of the box. They estimated that, at 200
feet each side of the box would be
sui iected to a pressure of $4,000
pounds The actual pressure at that
depth is less. But since that weight
could not be piled on each of the four
sides and two ends at the same time,
the test could not be made above
ground. But, so sure was Mr.. Schon
that the machine was strong enough,
he wanted to go down for the practical
test. He was persuaded to wait for
the second trip.
Finally all arrangements were COM
pleted and with the bell on a big scow
and a steam holster in the fleet, a tug
hauled the explorers seward.
The chart showed that the bed of
the lake at Milwaukee inclined grad
ually from the shore, and when the tug
had travelled nearly IL miles the depth
of water was considerably more than
200 feet A pressure gauge made for
the purpose was attached to the box.
dashed to the chains attached to the
end was a scantling, projecting several
feet to either side Ropes were fasten-
ed to this to prevent the cage from
swinging or twisting. Inside two
stringers, Sx6 inches, were fixed across
the box just below the windows to add
to the strength of the heavy metal
sides and assist in coping with the
pressure under the water. A long-dis-
lance telephone was also put in work
ing order, and the box was closed. To
the steel bar in the bottom was at
tached 5000 pounds of metal, but this
was found insufficient to sink it. and
1900 pounds of chain were added.
Then the word was given, and the
engineer allowed the big bronze box to
pass from view. A brief stop was made
to weigh the entire outfit under water.
and the result was a showing of 500
pounds. Here was a hollow cube of
six feet, weighing, all told, 30,100
pounds on the surface, reduced to 500
pounds submerged, indicating that the
weight of water displaced was $4,000
pounds, or 10 tons.
Again the thing was started bottom
ward. Each of the ropes attached to
the scantling was marked at intervals
of % feet as a check on the depth
reached. Down, down, ii went, but ii
was not very long before some one
saw the telephone come speeches. to
the surface. 1t did not need to be her
aided; everybody saw it and knew
what it meant. Then, as if all the
settler and soda water bottling tanks
in the National Association had been
let loose, the water commenced to eff
fervesce and sparkle, and presently a
great bubble of air burst, and all was
over. The word to hoist away was
given, and the Inflated box was
brought to view again.
One Of the heavy oak timbers was
driven into itself and splintered to
match wood. The inch thick plate glass
was almost pulveriZed. Mr.. Harper
says that according to the ropes, the
machine was down 200 feet, but the
guage showed a pressure of 80 pounds,
which, If ii registered correctly, indi-
Gated a depth of 22S feet. But on this
n haG nf feet Tha that
crushed this seemingly invulnerable
phosphor-bronze structure was S6S
pounds per square inch, or 353,924
pounds to each side of six feet square.
The total pressure, therefore, was
2,723,54S pounds, or 1887 tons.
1t seems incredible that with the eX-
traordinary strength of the bell it
should be so crushed. With a contri-
vance that would withstand the pres
sure of deep water ii was Mr.. Schon's
intention to use il in locating wrecks,
and afterward. by the use of the tele-
phone, to direct the work of wreckers
on the surface. either in graphing for
cargo or in placing lighter chains about
the hulls of vessels.
In the ordinary diving dress divers
seldom work in more than 100 feet Of
water, at which depth the pressure is
434 pounds per square inch. 1t has
been claimed that a diver attempted
to descend TO the wreck or the Elbe,
the Atlantic liner that lies in the En-
glish channel in 2i0 feet of water. He
was brought up almost unconscious
from 40 feet, where the pressure was
1878 pounds per square inch. pressure
that few can experience and live.
j. Schneider of this city. hydraulic
engineer of wide reputation, says an
psratus can be constructed that will
do the work intended for the SchOn
machine. He suggested. when consult
ed that IL be made either in the form
OF a sphere or an elipse, for the rea-
son that the pressure cannot get the
same action as with a cube, and that
the shape he suggests will withstand
much greater pressure than the cube
form.
He also suggests that, instead CT
large barred windows, a glass having
magnifying power could be used, that
would penetrate the water a greater
distance than fha eve ma SISTED This