The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-28

wheels instead Of the propeller when sub
merged is calculated at so por cent Tho
electrical Iorce will be carried IN storage
batteries. In the engine room are TO be
placed the storage tanks In which the At
mosphere will DO compressed To density
seventy tinss greater than the normal.
Foul air as it settles 10 the bottom OF the
hull Will be pumped out. In the engine
room are also steam and electrical pumps
for handling tho water ballast.
Forward OF the living room, and reached
through airtight doors, is the divers
compartments In the floor Of the divers
apartment is a door which drops down.
ward when any one wishes to leave the
room and go oat on the bOttom OF the sea-
lt Is tho most remarkable feature oI the
wrecker. This bottom door can never DO
opened until there is q pressure OF air in
the apartment equal To the pressure OF
water on the outside Of the craft when
these pressures are equal. iact Indicated
by gauge, the door may be opened ana
no water will enter the vessel. The
pressure OF air will be maintained at all
times while the divers arc at work on
the outside. by means of the airlock a
diver may pass from the living room out
into the sea or vice yersn, ana the door In
the bottom Of the craft does not have to
be closed
The density of air in the airlock and the
divers room will be the same. door be-
of air into tho living room while the
men are passing back and forth. In the
divers room will be placed telephone,
hose reel. divers hosting engine,
and oil wrecking tools necessary. For
ward of the divers room is To bo.the look
out apartment. In which the atmosphere
will be normal. This is the pilot house
when travelling on the bottom. In 1t tho
operator in charge OF the vesesl will con.
troll the hoisting derrick Tigged on the
bow, control the divers, ana direct the
craft. On the nose Of tho vessel VIII DO
placed 1000 candle power searchnght.
and lesser beams are 20 be put on the star
board and port bows Incnndescent lamps
throughout the vessel arc TO furnish light.
Two heavy circular anchors are TO be
placed in the bottom of the hull TO assist
in sinking tho boat.
To sink the wrecker five tanks in the
vessel are.nearly filed with water and the
weights are lowered TO the bottom OF the
sea. Then the cables are wound into the
boat and she is drawn down. This is the
method OF going down TO sunken snip
whose location is known. Tbs wrecker re-
tains reserve buoyancy, and in case of
accident the anchor chains may be cut
loose and tho craft rises to the surface.
When out on searching expeditions the
tanks will be filed with sufficient water
TO keep the locomotive on the bottom and
the toothed wheels will drive her forward
The searchligbt Will snow the path across
tho hard, sandy beaches which girt the
coasts. and also bring out the lines of
sunkon hulls.
The derrick on the bow is TO be operated
by man in the forward compartments.
The latter has glass windows. The diver
has only TO place tho hooks on tie objects
and the man in the boat hoists the load
and swings it over the freight cars and
deposits it. these ears are shaped like
giant revolver cartridges. With a door in
the center of their backs When loaded
the cars are coupled together ana attached
Co the locomotive. The train then elm bs
up tie beach to dry land. This method
costs less power than running OH the sur
face especially in stormy weather It is
90 lie so arranged that the whole train can
bs pumped out when it will rise TO the
surface and proceed to harbor, like tug
bont and "A tow of barges
q The Argonaut is TO De capable or going
down and looking for sunken passenger
liners like the Elbo. the Salier, or the
Drummond Castle. The Elbe and the
Drummond Castle, and probably what is
left of the Salier, lie in waters which are
not too deep for this wracker. The dom
sity OF water at the depths in which they
now are, from 100 to 300 feet, cannot bo
reached by man. One of the principal
objects, ,of the boat will be the rescuiug
OF drowrei persons from the interior of
sunkoD ships.
The craft is To be 80 feet long. feet
wide, ana will have displacement of 81