The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-11
Diving boat FAILURES
Costly Experiments That Have Made
the Government Cautions.
The Submarine Craft Built mt the
Washington NAVY Tnrd During the
Civil Wharf.-The Confcdcrncy's Dis
nstrous Efforts 4" Operate n French
Invention-PIans for other Vessels.

! Naval officers attribute the hesitation OF
| the department in adopting regular sub
marine boat service to the fact that the
| Government has had some very discour-
| aging experiences With that class OF yes
sells in past years. Experiments with div
ing boats and submarine craft have cost
the Government money. men. and valuable
time. but several useful lessons have been
learned
The Government constructed diving
boat at an early period OF the civil war.
Its inventor was Frenchman. to whom the
Government paid the sum of $4,000 for his
craft. and entered into an agreement with
him by which he was to operate the vessel
against the enemy, under the command of
ment. For every successful enterprise in
which he and his boat should be engaged he
was to receive an additional sum OF S.. 600
This boat was built under his direction at
the Washington navy yard. and an officer
applied and received orders to take charge
of her, with the express design of using
her to blow UP the Confederate ironclad
Merrimac. at Norfolk.
Upon reporting for his novel command.
this officer found the boat apparently com
pleted. but the inventor. having received
the SO. 600. had decamped. taking with him
the knowledge necessary to the operation
of the principal part ofthe boat, which was
an apparatus for purifying the air in the
boat after 1t had become initiated. 1t was
found upon trial that a speed of only l-2
knots could be attained on the surface by
the vessel with the crew in charge of the
machinery numbering sixteen men. Owing
to the disappearance of the inventor, who
alone pretended to understand its opera
ton, the apparatus intended to purify and
restore the air. was never tested: in fact.
it was considered that he had imposed
upon the officials of the Navy Department.
and that the invention was worthless.
Nothing was ever accomplished with the
boat beyond making a few experimental
trips TO the bottom Of the river. She was
sent in tow OF steamer to Port Royal.
but was lost in gale OFF Cape Hatteras.
A Series of Failures.
About the same time, another Frenchmar
named villeroi. built at Philadelphia,
diving boat which was thirty five feet long.
General Maury, of the Copfederacy. in his
report upon the defences of Mobile. gives
an account of the submarine boat which
sunk the Housatonic The report said in
part: Soon after her arrival at Charles
ton, Lieutenant Paine, OF the Confederate
navy, with eight others volunteered to at
tack the Federal fleet with her. While
preparing for their expedition, the swell of
a passing steamer caused the boat to cap
size and sink suddenly. All hands, except
Lieutenant Paine. who at the moment was
cfon In, fba hatn
The vessel was soon raised ard again made
ready for service. Lieutenant Paine once
more volunteered to command her While
lying near Fort Sumter she again capsized
and sunk in deep water. drown
ing all hands except her COM
mander and two others Being
again raised and prepared for action. Mr..
Aunley. one of her constructors. made an
experimental cruise in her in Cooper River.
While submerged at great depth. from
some unknown cause. she became unman-
ageable and remained for many days on
the bottom of the river with her crew of
nine dead. A fourth time was the boat
raised. and Lieutenant Dixon, OF Mobile.
Of the Twenty-first Volunteers.
with eight others, went out of Charleston
Harbor in her and attacked and sunk the
Federal steamer Housatpnic. Her mission
ever with her crew. Nothing ever became
known of their fate, but 1t is believed they
went down with their, enemy
4 Like Michigan Boat.
man named Phillips launched his first
submarine boat in Lake Michigan in 1851.
1t gained a speed of four and one-half
knots per hour. two men working by hand
a two bladed propeller. The arrangement
was very ingenious. theoretically. ii look
ed as il the boat might have been sue
cess. but in practice the apparatus heated
the entire boat so much that the crew was
unable TO remain in 1t. Phillips boat was
designed for war purposes, and was heav-
lily plated as defence against grape and
small arms. II has been stated that Phil
lips. who was a shoemaker by trade. de-
scended in Lake Erie, near Buffalo. in a
wooden boat, constructed according to
his plans. and as the vessel never reap
peared, 1t is supposed that he accidentally
went too deep, and that the craft col
lapsed because OF the pressure of the
water.
After the civil war the first submarine
boat which attracted attention in this
was the Intelligent Whale" She |
was 26 feet long and feet deep. made of |
boiler iron about one-half inch thick. and |
had one centre and two bilge keels OF |
heavy timber. The vessel was driven by |,
a four bladed screw. operated by four men |
at the cranks. Two small copper tanks |
contained air under a pressure Of 600 |
pounds per square inch. Two large tanks |
contained water for sinking the boat. and |
both with the ART tanks and |
with the water outside OF the boat. Her |
speed was four knots. The boat would |
hold thirteen persons and was tried in |
Passaic River with that number OF men |
on board.
Having arrived at the proper position |
under water, man In submarine armor
would pass out Of the boat carry an cleo
irict torpedo. the wires OF which passed
through holes in the sides of the boat Hav-
ing placed his torpedo underneath the ves-
sci TO be destroyed he would return, the
torpedo being fired by an electric battery
located in the boat. The United States
Government had intended to purchase this
boat and an installment of the price had
been paid. but dispute as to the owner
ship OF the vessel having arisen. nothing
further was done. and she lay at the
Brooklyn navy yard for several years. At
length trial was ordered In 1872. The
result was reported as 4 failure.
Other Vessels Planned.
In 1869 Passed Assistant Engineer John
W. Kelly. United States Navy, submitted
plans for a submarine boat. as did also
DR.. Barbour. of New York. but neither OF
he boats was ever built. In 1872 plans
or submarine boat were sent to the
laval torpedo station by Wisconsin man
iamed Rowell. The vessel was never con-
,tructed.
Regarding the future for submarine
Riot. Monge. Lri .arnot during
he Napoleonio reign In France believed