Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-26

y Was 1avented ~ 1sadsea asd Iwsniy
rsa's ~ y ~ sssAsslI.
marine torpedo boat ~ ~ ~ n irven sGD,
Of David Bushnell 81 saybrook. Coma
II was built In l775, though B,IshnelI !, ~
pears to have heen working on the idea
While the boat was 4 rrId.. A.fYatr ~
niust primitive construction, there Is
n ,,,s.,h,y Az, question s but that some use
Rov En snf b Deen y made Of i had the
nell In his labors. As Il was ne spent iii
fortune on his Invention and derived M
nenefif from 4. nor did amy one else.
1.-The ~ the public men OF the day. Thomas
interest In the boat, for the only com.
piete description OF il Is to be found IN 4
sat which Bushnell Bushneli wrote to him Nm
fully described the construction and
operation of his unique craft.
Tnis description IL most minute and
detailed. but IN view Of Hollands much
discussed submarine boat and the inter-
est all classes. save government officials
have taken In It, the letter Is worth
while reproducing in part. It is as fol-
The external shape OF the submarine
boat bore some resemblance to two up
per tortoise shells, Joined together. the
fiue or entrance into the vessel being
=
swells Of the shells at the head OF the
animal. The inside was capable of con-
tanning the operator. and air sufficient
70 suPDr fre nl Tor mr. without
site to the entrance was fixed quantity
Of lead as ballast, at one edge. Directly
before the operator: who sat upright.
ward. At the other edge was rudder
for steering. An aperture, at the bot
tom, with its valves. was designed to
admit water, for the purpose OF de-
scending. and two brass forcing pumps
when necessary for ascending. At
the top there was likewise an oar
for ascending or descending, or con-
tinuing at any particular depth. A
water gauge or barometer determined
the depth of the descent a compass d.
rected the course and ventilator with
in supplied the vessel with fresh air
when ON the surface.
The entrance into the vessel was clip
ticai and so small as barely to admit one
person. This entrance was surrounded
by an iron band the lower edge Of which
was let into the wood of which the body
,ier as to give its utmost support to the
body Of the vessel against the pressure
ri the water. Above the upper edge of
this iron band there was crown or
cover resembling hat, with its crown
and brim which shut water tight upon
the iron hand. The crown was hung to
he iron band with hinges to turn over
sideways when opened. To make 1t per-
screwed down upon the band by the
operator. or by a person within.
There were In the brass crown three
round doors. one directly In front. and
one on each side large enough to put the
hand through. When open they admit
ted fresh air. Their shutters were
ground perfectly tight into their places
when shut There were likewise several
class windows in the crown for looking
through and for. admitting light in the
day time. with covers to secure them.
rown. ventilasor, u Which p drew m fre ens
air through one of the pipes. and dis
charged Il into the lower part of the
vessel. The fresh air introduced by the
through the outer pipe. Both air pipes
We're reconstructed that they shut Them
selves whenever the water rose near
their tops: so that no water could enter
through them.
1.-The vessel was chiefly ballasted with
lead fixed TO Its bottom: when there was
not sufficient. a quantity was placed
weight of the operator. Its ballast rem
Gered it so solid there was no danger of
it's overseeing. The vessel with all its
s,Rsft weigh, to settle It low in the
water. About two hundred pounds of
lead at the bottom for ballast could be
let down 40 or 80 feet below the vessel.
Il
stantly to the surface of the water In
ase of accident.
when the operator desired to descend
lie placed his foot upon the top of the
Lrass valve; depressing it. by which which he he
the vessel through which the water en-
tered at his pleasure. When he had adj
mitted certain quantity he descended
/, quantity. In order to obtain an equiii-
brtum he elected as much as was neces-
sary by the two brass forcing pumps,
which were placed at each end: wnen-
ever the vessel leaked, or he desired to
ascend to the surface he also made use
of the forcing. pumps.
when the operator had obtained an
equilibrium he could row upward or
downward. or continue at any particular
depth. with an oar placed near the top
of the vessel formed upon the principle
of screw. BY turning the oar In one
direction he raised the vessel: by turn
ing II in the other way he depressed It,
IA glass tube eight inches long and one
inch In diameter. standing upright, as
upper end closed and its lower end. which
was open. secured into a brass pipe.
through which the external water had a
passage into the glass tube. served as a
water gauge.
"There was a piece of cork with phos-
lphorus on 1t put into the water gauge.
condensing the air within. and bearing
the cork on it's surface. BY the light OF |
the phosphorus the ascent of the water |
in the gauge was rendered visible and the |
depth of the vessel recorded by gradu-
ated scale.
"An oar formed on the principle Of the
screw, was fixed in the forepart of the
vessel. and being turned in one direction, |
rowed the vessel forward, and being |
turned in the other rowed it backward.
1t was constructed to be turned by the |
hand or foot.
"A r,1dder to the hinder part of the ves- |
sell, which commanded it with the great |
est ease, was made very flexible and
might be used for rowing forward.
IA compass marked with phosphorus |
directed the course above and under wa
ter. s.,ait4
1.-THE internal shape of the vessel in
every possible section offit verged toward I
an ellipsis. as near as the design would |
allow, but every horizontal section al
though elliptical was vet as near to
circle as could be obtained. Every OPEN
ing was we'll secured. The pumps had
two sets of valves. The aperture at the
bottom for admitting water was covered
with a plate perforated full of holes. to
receive the water and to prevent any,
thing from closing the passage or stop !,
ping the valves from shutting. The brass
valve might likewise be forced into its /
place with screw. The air pipes had
kind of hollow sphere fixed round the
fon of aach fO secure them from niury