The record-union., 1897-05-20
TO FLOAT A sUNKEN SHIP.
Gasbags Inside Inflated by Pulling 8
Lever.

With the horrors of the Victoria, the
Drummond Castle and the Warren
Hastings-though, fortunately, in the
last there was scarcely any loss of life
fresh in the mind, the average man must
wonder how it happens that in this age
Of invention no scheme has been devised
for rendering ships unsuitable. Not for
the first time have French inventors
come to the rescue, and of late the at
tention of shipbuilders and others con-
necteoAwith the navy and the mercantile
marine has been attracted to an eff
cacious but simple plan of this sort.
Anxious to secure lucid and nontech-
nical account Of the invention Black
and White" representative called on NJ.
l.. Levasseur, the London representative
of the inventor.
I'VE do not claim" he said as he
rolled up his sleeves preparatory to ex-
perimenting on the model floating in a
huge tank in his office, ito make ship
wreck pleasant; neither is it our aim to
prevent collisions or the many dangers
of those who go down to the sea in
ships. but we do claim to make un-
sinkable any ship, large or SMALL
Observing an incredulous aspect on
the face of his visitor, he walked across
to the tank and filled the model hulk
with sandbags and bricks till her water
line was submerged. Then he pointed
out that she had in her side two gaping
holes supposed to be the result Of col
lision amidships, which, for the moment,
Were covered with collision mats to keep
her afloat. These he proceeded to re-
move, and the little vessel began to sink
rapidly. Presently there was q hiss
ing sound-as of a soda-water bottle
being opened-a bursting of something
under the deck, and the gallant little
ship was floating proudly on the surface,
with the collision holes still unstopped.
Another turn of the gas lever, a bub-
bling of gas on the water. and the boat
lay on her side at the bottom of the
tank. Yet another pull of the lever and
in a couple of seconds the submerged
model, quivering from stem to stern,
rose like a cork. Comment was need
less.
THAT boat" said NJ. Levasseur,
"some five feet in length. was, as you
have seen, rendered unsinkable; but for
the purpose of experiment she was twice
allowed to touch the bottom, and on
each occasion was raised to the surface.
That was accomplished by the use of a
liquor glass full of carbonic acid gas.
claim that in a relatively short space
of time and with proportionate con-
sumption of gas-or ordinary air if you
like-we can keep any ship afioat, no
matter how badly she may be smashed
below the water line. Had we our ap
paratus to hand we could have raised
the Orotava in Tilbury Dock in a few
hours. and had our airbags been on the
Drummond Castle she would not be ly
ing al this moment in her rocky bed at
Ushant.'
But explain the invention to me-
1T consists of a number of independ-
ent collapsible eservoirs-airtigh and
waterproof-which when not in use
hang under the deck of a ship, or, in
deed, in any space not required for use,
as the ceilings of cabins and engine
rooms AS you see. they fold up like
cOncertinas, and when not needed lie
quite fiat against the ceilings or under
the decks. 1t matters not where they
are placed. On deck. or again wherever
most convenient, are placed a number
of small cylinders filled with liquid
carbonic acid, which, by means of
pipes, are connected with the various
balloons or airbags, each of which is
independent. and in case of one being
damaged the others are not injured
These cylinders, / take it, are
charged at the beginning of a voyage?"
Precisely, and at the moment of
danger the mere pulling of a lever by
the officer on the bridge causes the gas
TO rush into any of the airbags at will"
And the cost of this appliance?"
Oh, roughly speaking, | should say
big ocean liners like the Paris or the
Lucania could be fitted with LInsub-
mersible'-for that is the name of the
patent-for Fl, 600. The invention is
based upon the well-known principle of
the fish bladder It was devised in it's
present form by NJ G.. Dubois, an engi-
neer Of the Paris Ecole Central. 1t was
only after some eighteen months study
that he present form was adopted. NJ.
Dages originated the balloon idea, only
in his case the bags were placed outside
the ship; this was found to be unwork-
able in a heavy sea. NJ. Dubois i'm
provement has been approved by all
w no nave seen IL, anu SOME Oh the illSH-
est authorities in England have eX
pressed their satisfaction with it,
But isn't the space it will occupy,
especially in a cargo boat, serious
question:.
Not at all. Any properly loaded ship
has a vacant space between the cargo
and the deck, and this and any odd
spaces on board are more than suffi-
cient for our purposes. The character
of the airbags is such that by pressure
of the gas they fit themselves automat-
ically to the contour of the cargo. In
the case of passenger ships there is, it
is evident to all, plenty of room for our
apparatus. It must be remembered,
too, that it would only he in very bad
cases that 1t would be necessary to fill
all the airbags. 1t would only be neces-
sary to initiate those in that part of the
ship that had received damage. But
in the worst possible case a ship kept
afoat by the airbags-even If washed
by the sea and unable to steer-would
be perfectly safe until assistance