The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05
THE FAMOUS OLD FENIAN.
1t Was the Original of the Holland
and Submarine Torpedo Boat
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
The death in New Haven Sunday OF
James Reynolds, prominent Irish-Ameri-
can revolutionist, more widely known as
"Catalpa jim" has led to the unfolding
of story which closely links the Holland
submarine torpedo boat, recently launched
at the Columbian iron works, with tne
notorious Fenian ram, the construction
of which twenty years ago excited botm
this country and Great Britain. Botm
boats were the invention of John P. HoI~
land and the new "Plunger' is nothing
more or less than a development OF the
ideas which were first used in the 'Fe~
MAN" Modern methods of ship buildlGE
and the use of electricity have enaoleu
Mr.. Holland to vastly improve upon his Ola
ideas. In the yard of a foundry in Ne"
Haven. owned by Mr.. Reynolds the re
MAN has lain since its days of activity III
the water were over. Mr.. Reynolds was
prominent leader of The Clan-na-Gael' ana
at the time of the discussions in that Or
ganiZation the boat passed into his Keep
ing, loaded with attachments. When IL
was built, from 1873 to 1871 the govern
ment of Great Britain was much stirred
up concerning it. Mr.. Holland had served
a two-years term in British prisons lot
his participation in Fenian movements lib
1865, and for several years after his re-
moval to this country he worked hdIu
upon plan for a submarine torpedo boat
which should be cabable of blowing up
the war ships of the British navy
He interested the leaders of the can
na-Gael in his project and the money LOT
the building of the boat, about $35,VO was
contributed from revolutionary IuhGS,
Among the men deeply interested IN tns
boat were John w. Golf, now recorder VI
New York city; John Dewey, who came "
Baltimore last Fourth of July and spohe
Mt an Irish celebration at Point bfee1IIi
John Breslin, Judge James F1t5seraIt
and Mr.. Reynolds. The boat was aDouI
eighty feet long, or nearly the size oil .iit
Plunger. IT was slow in building, ana IL
was not until 1878 that it was lauhCH0U'
For some months it ran In, about ana ul
der the harbor of New York, but, because
of an accident TO the machinery II new.
realized the sanguinary purposes l
which it was built. 1t gave, however
good scare to the people of Great Britain
and aroused many expectations amons ~
mans. Correspondents of the nll'lql
press told in exaggerated style OF ils e
cry movement, and every night for SUI ~
months the British public went 60 peu ~
fear and trembling, expecting to wax ~
in the morning and learn that the feuia
had suddenly appeared off the irish coa9s
and had blown up the pride Of Great D-1'
aims navy.
The abandonment of the Fenian was
due to the adoption of dynamite as q nlea.1
of revolutionary effort. In the eXcllellrn ~.
which followed the blowing up OF wa
ship in Canadian waters and the atlenps
TO destroy the house of parliament w
old Holland submarine boat was lost slsn'
of. Since the disruption of the Clah-na
Gael ii has remained quietly in Reynoiu
yard. A curious echo of the tenlan ~
CURED during THE building Of the thI'
Holland submarine boat, recently lauhcn en-
ed at Elizabethport. N. j. Because OF tiiY
secrecy with which it was construct
and the known antecedents of the inVel,
tor and his craft, the British governness
believed that 1t was designed to renem
the old plan of campaign, and agens
watched carefully it's building ana a.
tempted to secure copies of its plans