Evening journal., 1897-05-18
A SUBMARINE CRAFT
Holland Torpedo Boat Launched
at Elizabethport, N. ].
MYSTERY IS CONNECTED WITH HER.
Her Builders Have Carefully Guarded Her
Construction ard Kept Secret For
Whom She Was Buiit-Makes
Good Showing.
a Good Showing.


Elizabethport. N. j.. May 1s.-The
Holland submarine torpedo boat has /
been successfully launched at The Lew
is Nixon Crescent shipyards.
Mrs. Lewis Nixon broke a gayly dec
Grated bottle of wine on the nose shaped
bow of the craft and exclaimed, Il
christen thee the Holland
AS the cigar shaped stern struck and
buried itself in the waters 6f Staten Is
land sound a cheer arose from the
spectators, which quickly changed to
exclamations of anxiety as the odd look
ing craft continued to disappear under
the water. until II looked as though
the Holland was bound for the bottom
of the sound.
The next instant anxiety gave way to
loud shouts and whistling Of steamers
as the turret and about 2 feet by 10
or the deck of the torpedo boat ap-
peared on the surface of the water
The Holland was towed to the dock,
where she will be completed before any
submarine experiments are made. Mr..
Holland was greatly pleased over the
successful launching.
The launching was made as secret as
possible, lest everything should not
work right No one was admitted to
the yard other than the employees and
several friends of Mr. Holland and half
dozen newspaper men. There was no
representative from the United States
or any other government.
The original intention to have one of
Mr. Hollands assistants launched in
the boat was abandoned, and no one
was aboard when the Holland left the
ways The only decoration was a small
American flag on a temporary fagstaff
attached to the small turret Of the Hol-
land.
Mr.. Holland and Mr.. Nixon refuse to
state for whom or for what purpose the
torpedo boat Holland is destined.
The craft, about which there has
been so much speculation and mys-
terry. is the invention Of John p. Hol-
land. Mr.. Holland has been wrestling
with the submarine boat problem for
ten years or more. The vessel is the
fourth he has made The first launch
ed in 1877 was a small affair and not
an unqualified success. Then Mr.. Hol-
land put in five years more on a second
attempt that never even came to a
launching Two years later a third,
that promised everything desired. was
smashed in the launching. Besides
the present boat similar one is now
building in Baltimore.
Dimensions of the Graft.
The Holland is 80 feet 3 inches long
with a 4 foot screw protecting exten-
sion. Its diameter is 10 feet 3 inches
amidships and the nodded diameter II
feet inches. 1t can travel under wa.
ter eight knots an hour for eight hours
and ten knots on the surface.
The power comes from a gasoline en-
gine and a dynamo, the latter to bi
used when submerged and the forme
when the boat is sailing along on tn
surface.
1t will take barely one minute to sub
merge the boat and not much longe
to raise it to the surface of the water.
The armament consists of three tor
pedo tubes. one at the upper bow o
the boat being an aerial torpedo throw
er, with a range of one mile. Six pro
jectiles, weighing $50 pounds each, wit
charges Of 100 pounds of explosives, ar
to be stored for this gun.
Almost directly beneath the torped
thrower is an expulsion tube for White
head torpedos. Only three Of these tor
pedos will be carried, as each on
weighs $50 pounds. At the stern Of tn
boat is a submarine gun which, with
100 pound charge of explosive, can hui
a 400 pound projectile 100 yards or nor
through the water. Five Of these pre-
jectiles will be carried.
The craft will be manipulated by
crew of six men.
Workmen will get the craft in shaT
at once, and she win have her trial tri
down the bay as soon as possible.
Three foreign powers are said to hay
made overtures to secure the craft
case 1t proves a success, but 1t is like
that the United States government wi
get 1t in case it comes up to expect;
tions. The government has already of
clally indorsed the patents pertainir
to the boat, and the navy departmel
has had an official at the shipyard sui
mitting reports constantly on the VOL
of construction.