The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-20
A NEW WONDER.
Launch of a Submarine. Treasure.
Seeking Boat at Baltimore.

SniPSdru VI lHo OoiuiuDl6 Iron WORKS,
where the craft has been constructed.
"Argonaut" has been selected as the
Lame for the new candidate for honors in
a work which has never before been at
ten pied by any inventor
This boat, which has been under con-
struction for some months, is Z, new de-
parture in navigation 1t is what may be
called a suo.aquatic locomotive, as we'll
as a boat, as it is intended to travel both
on-the surface Of the water and on the
bottom Its principal use will be the
searching for sunken vessels and the re-
covery of them aud their cargos
On the Atlantic coast the matter is
comparatively shallow until the inner
edge of the gulf stre,m is reached, the
bottom being composed of hard white or
gray SAND, upon which Mr. Lake claims,
his beat can move about with great facil-
ity The majority of vessels, records are
said to show, are sunk within the limit
of depth at which this boat is ex pected
to be able to work, and, as the losses are
estimated at over one hundred million
dollars annually in vessels and cargoes,
there is no doubt in Mr.. Lakes mind
that there is plenty of wealth to be recov.
errd by his boat.
Mr.. Lake last night, sis that it's occu-
pants are independent of boats and ten
ders Oh the surface. BY the present sys
tenn, where the divers are lowered over
the side of q boat ami air is pumped
down to them from above, it is found
that, 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 he carried on day and
night. if necessary, as the boat carries
emf fpfn IN
able the divers to remain at work a day
at time. AS the effect of a wave ex-
tends below the surface only as deep as
its height the work will not be.interfered
with, no matter how much of storm
may te raging on the surface"
The boat will probably be ready for it's
first submerged trial in a week or ten
days after the launch. This trial will be
made in the Chesapeake hay, and after the
crew becomes familiar with the operation
of the boat she will be taken around on
the New Jersey coast and put to work
on recovering the. valuable cargoes known
to be sunk along its shores. NLt, Lake
says that he knows of several vessels
sunk adjacent to the New Jersey coast
which are said to have an aggregate Of
over fifteen millions of dollars on board
in specie and bullion.
Probably the first vessel to which at
tention will be paid, the inventor says,
will be the "New Era" sunk off Asbury
Park, n. j.. This vessel went down about
1902, and over two hundred lives were
lost. She had II valuable cargo and n
large amount of specie on board. Her
location is well known to the fishermen
of Asbury Park, as over her hull is n
favorite place for catching sea bass. She
lies in water not over forty feet in depth
The Argonaut is thirty-six feet long
and nine feet in diameter, built of steel
and strongly ribbed, to resist the water
pressure. She is propelled, when on the
surface, by White ~ Middleton gaso-
line engine of 30 horse power. She can
also be propelled, while on the bottom,
by the same engine, the mir supply being
obtained through hose, leading to the
surface and supported by float. She
can be propelled along the bottom by an
electric motor as we'll, taking current
from powerful storage battery.
a strong search light is located in the
| bow, capable of lighting up Il pathway in
| front of the craft as she moves along the
bed of the ocean. Lenses are also ar
| ranged to project u beam of light to either
side of the boat. so that objects may be
seen in the vicinity of the vessel as she
passes along. When on the surface the
ordinary screw propeller is used for pro-
pulsion; when on the bottom she is pro-
PEELED by rotating the large driving
wheels near the bow. She is steered
while on the bottom by the small wheel
journaied III the rudder.
Her speed is estimated to he about
eight miles an hour on the surface and
| about five miles on the bottom. She
will have fuel carrying capacity for n
run of about 1000 miles The crew will
consist of captain, AN engineer and
four divers. 1t is claimed that one man
can handle her if necessary.
She is divided into four compartments,
the main compartment being TWEEN w. four
feet in length. The latter portion is for
the engine, dynamo, air compressor and
pumps, leaving space twelve feet long
by nine feet in width as living quarters
for the crew. Forward of this are air
locks and divers compartment, and in
under water navigation.
The divers room will contain the
hosting engine for transferring the
cargo from the sunken ships. 1t has a
door opening outward, situated in the
bottom, through which the divers pass
when leaving or entering the boat. The
water is kept out of this compartment
while the door is open by an air pressure
equal to the water pressure surrounding
the boat, corresponding to the depth of
water the boat may be in.
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