The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-18
VOYAGE or THE ARGONAUT
Submarine Wrecking Boat to Be
Launched Tomorrow.
TO SEEK WEALTH In The DEEP
Curious Craft That Is Expected to
Crawl ON the Bottom Of the Sea
and Recover Treasures From
Supken Ships-InveRtOr Claims
Fortunes Are In Sight.

Baltimore, Nd, Aug. 18.-The Lake sub
marine wrecking boat will be launched to-
morrow from the shipyard OF the Columbia
Iron Works, where the or aft has been con
,tructed Argonaut has been selected ast'e
name for the new candidate for honors IN
work which has never before been at
tempted by any inventor.
This boat, which has been under con
struction for some months, lis new de
parture in Navigation. 1t Is what might
be called subaquatic locomotive. as
W ell Us boat, as it is intended to travel
both on the surface OF the water an,i ON
the tottom. Its pnuipal use will be
the searching for sunken vessels and
the recovery OF them and their car goes
On the Atlantic coast the wateris ccm'
paratively shallow until the inner edge
of the Gulf stream is reached, the bottom
being composed Of hard white or gray
sand, upon which, Mr.. Lake claims, his
bat can move about with great facility.
The Ma or.ty Of vessels, records are said
to show, are sunk within the limit vi
depth at which this boat is expected 10
be able to work, and, as the losses are
estimated at oveI ore hundred million
dollars annually in vessels and cargces,
there $ no doubt In Mr.. Lakes mind that
there is plenty Of wealth TO be recovered
by his boat.
"The great advantage OF my boat" said
Mr. Lake last night, lis that It's occu-
pants are independent of boats and ten
lers Oh the surface BY the present sys-
ten, where the divers are lowered over
tie side OF the boat and air is pumped
down 10 them from ahove, IL Is found
tnat in working at sea the water is so
rough that they cannot count upon over
fifteen or twenty days during the entire
year on which they can work. With the
new boat work can be carried on day
and night, il necessary, as the boat car
ries sufficient air supply in steel tubes
10 enable the divers to remain at work
a day at a time. As the effect Of wave
extends below the surface only as deep
az ito height, the work will not be inter
fered with, no matter how much of a
storm may he raging on the surface" :"
The boat VIII probably be ready for
It's first submerged trial in a week OF
ten days after the launch. This trial
Will be made in the Chesapeake Bay. and
after the crew becomes familiar with the
operation OF the boat. she viii be taken
around on tse New Jersey coast and put
to work OH recovering the valuable car
goes known TO be sunk along its shores
Mr. Lake says that he knows Of several
vessels sunk adjacent 20 the New Jersey
coast. which are said to have an aggregate
I... In,
and bullion
Probably the first vessel to which Jtten
tion Will he paid the inventor says wiz
be the New Era, sunk off Asbury Park,
Nj. This vessel went down about 1852,
and over zoo lives were lost She had a
valuable cargo al nd a large amount of
specie On board. Her location rs well
known to the fishermen OF Asbury Park,
as over her hull is favorite place Tor
catching sea bass. she lies in water not
over forty feet in depth.
The Argonaut il thirty six feet long and
nine feet in DIANE ter, built uf steel and
strongly ribbed to resist the water pres
sure. She is propelled. when on .he sur
face. by White Il Middleton gasoline
engine Of thirty horsepower. She can aisD
be propelled while OIL the bottom by the
same engine, the air supply being obtained
through hose leading to the surface and
supported by float. She can be pro-
PEELED along the bottom by an electric
motor as W ell. taking current from n pow
erful storage battery.
A strong searchlight is located IN tile
bow, capable OF lighting up pathway in
front OF the craft as she moves along the
bed Of the ocean. Lenses are also ar
ranged to project a beam of light to either
side of the boat, 20 that objects may be
seen In the vicinity OF the vessel as she
passes al.Hg. when ON the surface the
ordinary screw propeller is used for pro
palsion; when on the lotion she is pro
PEELED by rotating the large driving wheels
near the how. She is steered while on
the bottom Dy the small wheel journalled
in the ru'ider.
aer speed is estimated to be about eight
miles an hour on the surface and about five
miles on the bottom. She will have fuel
carrying capacity for run of about 1000
miles The crew viii consist of d captain,
an engIneeI an I'll four divers. 1t lis claimed
that one man can handle her il necessary
She is divided into four compartments,
the main compartment being twenty four
IScl III NfEiE lfic dtiSI pDftsoI Is ucNOteu
to the engine, dynamo. air compressor and
pumps, leaving space twelve feet long
by nine feet III width as living quarters for
the crew. Forward of this are air locks an
divers compartment, and In the extreme
bow is the pllot-house for underwater navi
cation.
The divers room will contain the hoisting
engine for transferring the cargo from the
sunken ships. II has door opening out
ward, situated In the bottom, through which
the divers pass when leaving or entering
the boat. The water il kept out of this com.
partment while the door is open by an air
pressure equal to the water pressure sur
rounding the boat, corresponding to the
depLh of water the boat may be in.
Mr.. Lake is a native of Pleasanty!iIe n
j., where he was born September 4, see
An Expression of Thanks.
Mrs. Henry King, jr., and family, wish
h h.