Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-12-03
saint Maru's Beacon
The Submarine Boat.

Inere appears 70 De an unusuai
rush among submarine boat invent
ors just now, brought about BY the
new Holland craft which will soon
have practical test. Many stu
dents Of this unique class Of water
vehicle are eagerly awaiting the ver-
dict to be passed upon our brand
new submarine boat and are pre-
pairing to deluge Uncle Sam with
plans for new schemes, in the event
Of his smiling upon the idea of fur
Their equipping our progressive ma
W with vessels of the new class.
Those for submarine boats and for
airships just now divide the honor
of being the most interesting pat
ents granted by the government.
One of the latest submarine boats
patented 10 that of Louis Gatham,
a Chicago man. OF course it may
be navigated either upon or beneath
the surface OF the water, the rising
or sinking being accomplished by
the taking in or pumping out of
water. 1t carries heavy supply
of explosives and three powerful
submarine guns, two fore and one
aft. 1t has a water-tight hull and
deck, from which rises in the GEN.
ire what might be mistaken for the
top of a church pipe-organ or Bar
NUNS steam caliope.
1t is q group of tubes, eight in
number, the longest in the middle.
They lead from a conning-tower,
above deck, to point just above
the surface of the water. Seven of
the tubes contain telescopes in their
lower ends. The central tube, re-
yolving in a water tight sleeve, con-
tains in the top a mirror prism.
Opposite one OF the faces OF this is
an opening in the side of the tube,
admitting the confronting view.
The operator in the coming tow
er turns the telescope around and
an unobstructed view of the sea on
all sides, from the vessel to the ho-
rizon. may be reflected down this
contrivancs which enables him to
see around a corner. Four tubes
in front of this and two to the rear
are fixed as stationary sites for the
three submarine guns and contain
the same prism for sighting. Each
gun has two of these, the telescopes
of which contain cross hairs. Sup
pose it be desired to destroy a war
ship lying toward the bow. The
operator would turn the boat
around until the cross-hairs in the
telescope joined at point coincid-
ing with point on the hull of the
vessel to be destroyed. He would
fire the gan corresponding with this
telescope, and il true to theory the
vessel would be struck at a point
the same distance below the spot
sighted at as the distance between
the level of the telescope. Satisfied
with the result, the submarine boat
would make basty retreat. pro-
PEELED by electricity or some other
smokeless motive power.
While sunk beneath the water the
only exposed parts are the tops of
the telescope tubes, protruding sew
eral inches. Air is pumped in
through tube rising from the con-
ning-tower with the others. To
obviate the trouble which subma-
rine sailors and workers have ex-
perienced with their compasses the
inventor would mount his compass
in the top of one of the telescope
tubes so that it can be seen from
below. 1t has transparent top aud
bottom, while at night a small
lamp burns above it. The teles-
cope tubes are all air-tight, while
the inlet tube may be sealed in case
the whole vessel should be submer-
ged.
Two inventors. Freese and GAVIN,
have patented shGttle-shaped sub
marine boat, which may sink to any
depth, the passengers within being
supplied directly with fresh air
from above. Beneath the opera
tors cabin which is raised as a
small dome above the centre, is
chamber, To the bottom of which
the exterior water has constant in
gress through an open tube. In
side is also a reel containing a hose
of great length, the inner end being
connected with q cock in the top of
the chamber. The outside end of
the hose protrudes through float,
painted exactly the color of water