Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-18
or bags of goat-skin. A gentleman strug-

vi pdSS oI SOdl-ShlI. "a SGllllSlIdH SLIuSs
Cling with a lever was supposed to be
pumping water either into or out of these
Ieceptacles. The idea was. of course, that
the admission of water would cause the
boat to sink, and it's expulsion would
bring it once more to the surface.
David Bushnell, of Connecticut, invent
ed a submarine in the year 1913, and it
may be said at once that for the times it
was a most creditable and practical in
vention. Indeed, in the matter Of hori-
zontal stability, it could probably give
points to any that have been designed
since.
The following account of this remark
able craft is abridged from a journal pub
lished in 1903, and taken from a still
earlier publication, the Encyclopedias
Londinensis''-
TN external shape bore some resem-
blance to two upper turtoise-shells OF
equal size joined together. The inside
was capable of containing the OPERATOR
and air sufficient to support him thirty
minutes.
The tube stood upright, and slid up
and down, in the socket. six inches: at
the top of the tube was a wood-screw.
fixed by means of a rod, which passed
| through the tube and screwed the
wocd-screw fast upon the top Of the
tube. BY pushing the wood-screw up
against the bottom of a ship and turn
! ing it at the same time, it would enter
! viz IlllN YIN NoSN NAN 1894
firmly fixed it would be cast off by un-
screwing the rod which fastened it upon
the top of the tube.
Behind the submarine vessel was a
place, above the rudder, for carrying a
powder magazine large enough to con-
| tain $50 pounds of powder, with the APP
paratus used in firing it, and was Sc
cured in its place by a screw. Within
the magazine was an apparatus con-
structed to run any proposed length OF
time under twelve hours; when 1T had
run out its time it unpinioned a strong
lock resembling a gun lock, which gave
fire to the powder"
Fulton's boat was In all probability
suggested to the inventor by Bushnells
turtles" although in form it will be
seen that it a~pproXimated more nearly
to modern ideas. He called it a "Bateau
Poisson" or Fish Boat" He attempted
in vain to get the French government to
adopt it, but with nc success, although
her trials promised good results. But ADJ
miral DEGREES would have none of it.
"Such boats.' he declared, were fit only
for Algerines or corsairs.' Fulton con-
structed first a model in mahogany, then
a real boat he called the Nautilus. TIL
latter was not finished till 1901, and was
tried at Rouen, Brest, Paris. and Havre.
A BRIG BLOWN UP.
Fulton next tried England, and blew
up a brig in the Downs, off Walmer
I Castle, ms BOAT beng naNlgateu by Lleu-
tenant Robinson, of the Royal Marines;
but here again the naval authorities
looked askance at the Innovation. and
refused to have anything to do with it.
~Seamanship and good gunnery had SO
far proved In the highest decree eff
cacious in preserving the OF
the sea. and they were no more ready
| than their enemies across Channel to
adopt a cOntrivance of this sort. So Full
ton returned whence he came. Since his
time hundreds Of submarine boats have
been designed, and a large number act
ually launched. but there are three things
which no inventor seems as vet to have
grappled with in a thoroughly successful
7 manner.
These are-nl the difficulty OF MAIN
tanning a perfectly horizontal course;
CD the limited range of vision once the
boat is below the surface; 90 the ac-
curate direction of a torpedo fired at such
a distance as to presrve the boat herself
from the effect of the explosion. A wholly
immersed vessel is far more sensitive TO
the effects of an underwater explosion
than an ordinary one.
Although the American boats work
pretty We'll there seems no Immediate
prospect of a cessation of maritime wars
on account of the advent of a practical
, and really formidable submarine War;
vessel.