The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-10
Notice Of Latest Inventions.
THE SUBMARINE BOAT.

the Holland Submarine Boat Company,
in company with Joseph P. Holland. yes
terday made a careful and thorough in
spection of the boat. Every part of her
was infinitely examined by Mr.. Jacques.
who says that everything was to his en-
tire satisfaction, says Sundays New York
Herald
Her condition was such, he said, that
should the government need her. she could
be made ready for firing her Whitehead
torpedoes as soon as these weapons could
be provided. In the meantime some OF
the minor details Of the mechanism of
different parts Of the boat are being al
tered, and early in the week the boat will
be subjected to extensive trials above and
under water.
Work on the machinery and interior ar
engagements has been pushed since she
had her surface trial nine days ago. Mr..
Holland has adjusted her engines and
made some changes in parts of the ma
chinery, which will, in his opinion. insure
everything working smoothly when the
tests are made. Strict secrecy as to the
work on the boat is maintained. and only
the inventor and a few trusted workmen
and the officers Of the company are per-
mitted on board
Mr.. Holland is sangune that his subma-
rine destroyer will be a match for any
battle ship afioat. He asserts that the
boat, when finally completed, will be un-
der absolute control, and may be operated
below the surface, rising only at intervals
to attain bearings, and to admit fresh
supply of air.
He has spent several years in develop
ing his ideas of submarine warfare, and
he expresses confidence that he has at
last built a boat that will fulfill the re-
quirements. His confidence in thesuccess
Of his experiments is shared by the officers
Of the company which built the boat, and
naval experts who obtained a look at the
craft before it was put overheard are in
clined 70 agree with the inventor as TO the
mobility of the vessel. They say that the
problem of submerging a boat and rails
ing it to the surface has apparently been
solved, but the ability of such boat to
discharge dynamite projectiles has yet 20
be demonstrated.
Mr.. Holland has designed his boat to at
tack by aerial projectiles, as well as from
below the surface of the water. From the
coming tower the operations Of the boat
are directed.
In approaching an enemy's battle ship
the Holland Is kept just below the surface
until within range of her guns. Then the
boat descends twenty or thirty feet below
the surface and moves within a mile of
the enemy, when it comes to the surface
for n11r no no
operator, by use of the steering gear,
points his boat directly at the battle ship,
thus aiming the bow gun. and at a signal
from him the gun is discharged. throwing
a dynamite shell at the enemy. Before
the shot can be effectively returned the
operator releases the valves, which sinks
the Holland out of the way of the guns OF
the battle ship.
Approaching broadside Of the. battle
ship, and remaining below the surface,
the Holland projects a Whitehead tor
pedo from its second bow tube. Passing
under the ship, it rises to thesurface on
the other side and a shell from the stern
gun is discharged at the enemy. II none
of these missiles has placed the enemy
hors de combat, the Holland makes a wide
circuit and repeats the attack.
So little surface is offered as a target
that the Hollands chances of being hit
are much less than those of a battle ship
or cruiser which it might attack. The
submarine fighters greatest danger would
be from the torpedoes which a ship would
discharge. As many men-of-war are
equipped with torpedo tubes in bow and
stern only, the Holland would be COM
paratively safe while it kept on the
enemy's beam.
John P. Holland, the inventor of theboat
which bears his name, made several at
tempts at submarine construction before
he drew the plans of the boat which was
built at Nixons yard.
His first boat was built on Passic river
in 1877. 1t was less than fifteen feet long
The hull came up TO Mr.. Hollands ideas,
but the engines were not put in properly
and the boat was spoiled.
Another boat was built about two years
later, and Mr.. Holland, as we'll as several
naval experts who examined it, were of
the opinion that it would work perfectly.
owing to an accident at the launching,
however, the boat was so badly injured
that IL was abandoned
Mr.. Holland was persistent in his en-
deavor TO produce a boat that could be |
or operated on the surface, and |
from which death-dealing projectiles |
might be discharged against an enemy's |
ships. He built third boat at Baltimore |
and the fourth one at Nixons shpyard. |
Hollands last boat is fifty feet three |
inches long, with four foot screw pro- |
tecting extension. Its dieameter is ten |
feet three inches amidships. Il was de- |
signed to travel ten knots on the surface |
or eight knots under water for eight |
hours. Power is supplied by a gasoline |
engine and a dynomo operated by a stor- !
age battery. When the boat is submerged !
the dynomo is used. and when on the sur |
face the gasoline engine is the propelling /
power.
While on the ways the boat had the ap- /
pearance Of a cigar shaped, hermetically !
sealed tube. The hull is Of steel plating. /
rivetted TO steel frames. The plates are /
half an inch thick amidships and taper /
to one-eighth OF an inch at bow and stern.
A telescope coming tower. two feet in
diameter. rises from the center OF the
boat Four rudders control the move
nenrs Of the craft and there are three
each OF which is four feet nine
inches in diameter. The gasoline engine
IS Of forty-eight horse power. and the dy-
1amo. when the storage battery is fully
charged. is capable OF exerting 10 horse
power.
No provision Is made for sleeping or
even for cooking inside The boat Il -
built for business only. There Is room for
IN mn aIthnl,rt nj r,are han siN are