The evening times., 1899-07-07
SUBMARINE BOAT LAUNCHED.
Claims of It's Inyentor-Rolls Upon
Channel Bottoms. 4

New York. July 7.-Simon Lakes new
Argonaut, the submarine automobile"
which rolls upon the bottom Of the sea,
was launched at Erie Basin yesterday.
The new Argonaut is practically the same
boat exhibited last summer enlarged.
While the inventor claimed for the smaller
craft total submersion Of ten and one
quarter hours, for the new one, ne says
that with surface connection he can stay
in her under water as long as fuel and pro-
visions last. Without surface connection
he claims he can remain submerged until
his supply OF compressed air is exhausted,
which is for about forty-eight hours.
To navigate the Argonaut under water
the boat is made to descend to the bottom
| by flooding the balance compartments.
When the bottom is reached the craft is
propelled by means of wheels like a car
riage. The inventor declares he can run
over any obstruction under twelve feet in
height, and across a dredged channel of
any width or depth by travelling down one
side and up the other, but, he says, few
OF these obstacles are encountered in sub
marine excursions, for according to him,
the bottoms of deep waterways are usually
as level as a macadamized roadbed.
| In case of collision in muddy water the
! inventor has attached to the bow a hy-
| draulic buffer to lessen, as he claims, the
shock from the force of contact. The Ar
/ gonaut was constructed primarily for a
wrecking boat, but the inventor built the
| present craft with a view of taking 1t to
Europe, and there giving a demonstration
| before patent officials. Besides wrecking
work, the boat is intended to be used for
| sponge and pearl fishing, and for blasting
| and dredging.
| AS this strange craft lies at her moorings
| in Erie Basin with nothing but the TN
| finished superstructure to be seen, she
does not attract attention. But when she
| hung suspended in chains from a giant
i derrick's boom, just previous to launch
] ing, fair view was to be had Of Eer
lines. The boat proper ySsembles in shape
a huge cigar, sixty-six feet in length, with
/ a superstructure built along the top. and
a small conning-tower erected amidships.
| Including the superstructure the Argonaut
has depth of twelve feet The cigar
| shaped structure, which is not discernible
| TO the eye as the boat floats upon the
surface of the water, is divided into FIVE
| compartments In the bow is the divers
cabin, where the men enter and leave the
boat when submerged without the en-
| croachment of the water which is kept
out by means Of compressed air. Benind
| the divers compartment are the sleeping
quarters of the crew.
| AInluSHlpS Is lHe operating IOOH, WHeTe
is located the machinery for operating
| the ship. Behind this is the lavatory and
the galley, and directly aft the engine room
where is the 60-horsepower gasoline en-
gine which furnishes the power for navi-
! eating the craft, and running the two
dynamos which generate the electricity for
| illumination purposes. The wheels on
which the boat travels when submerged
are three, one on each side amidship, and
the third journaled in the rudder. For air
connection when less than sixty feet under
water, the Argonaut's crew depend on a
standpipe. For greater depths surface
buoys are used with suction holes and
rubber piping.
When Captain Lake crosses the Atlantic
as he intends TO do. the Argonaut will car
ry a crew of nine. The inventor said to-
| day that the boat would be ready for her
| first trial trip in two weeks and when
! finished would be operated in the neigh
borhood of the Atlantic Highlands