The evening times., 1900-01-08
TIE HOLLAND BOAT TRIAL
Officials Say 1t Will Take Place
When the River Clears.
What Has iIready Been Accomplish
ed by the InventiOn-PFaised by
Naval OG:cers-FOreiEn Govern
ments Seeking the Patent Rights.
Demands of the United states.

"As soon as the Potomac is clear Of all
| the ice" said Mr.. c. E Creecy. the Wash
ington representative of the Holland Sub
marine Boat Company today. I'VE will give
a series Of exhibition trips with the Hol-
| land These will be mainly for the bene-
! fit of the Congressional Naval Committees,
| and for officers of the navy well as Of
the army. The requirements Of the Navy
I Department. which were as follows, have
been fulfilled by us on the trial trips made
under supervision of the officials Of the
Navy Department. The requirement were
as follows:
- The ability of the Holland to run awash
at good speed; ability to dive and rise
readily and with certainty; ability TO run
under water at depths from ten to thirty
five feet at a speed Of about six knots per
hour, holding a reasonably steady course,
both in the vertical and horizontal planes
during said runs O. not less than ten min
utes in deviation; to turn both to star
board and to port with reasonable quick
ness and certainty. managing the steering
gear without too much effort and conveying
readily and with certainty the movements
OF the steering wheel 10 the rudder; eff
cient and satisfactory mechanism for con-
trolling the driving apparatus efficiency
and certainty Of the mechanism in its ac-
ton for raising and lowering the bJat in
the water, and for altering her trim;
reasonably simple apparatus as well as GER
tain and efficient in its action for insurine
a steady course during the run, both above
and below water strong construction OF the
boat the material and workmanship Of ali
parts the best of their kind. efficiency Of
the torpedo discharge apparatus by one or
more discharges OF torpedOes adopted TO
each kind of tube. mounted on board. and
their explosion with certainty at the prop
er time; discharging successfully and efh-
ciently through the tube provided for the
purpose Of Whitehead torpedOes furnished
by the department; means OF supplying air
inside during the whole time that she may
be used TO effect a submarine operation in
war
We have demonstrated TO the entire
satisfaction OF the Navy Department the
practicability OF the Holland" said Mr.
Creecy, and the following named officers
OF the navy have voluntarily gone aboard
the Holland, and have taken surface and
submerged runs in her: Capt, John Lowe,
Commander William II. Emory, Lieuten-
ant Commander T. J. Henderson, Naval
Constructor W. l. Capps. Lieut. Nathan
Sargent. Naval Constructor ". h Narney.
Lieut.. Francis J. Haesler. Lieut.. Dewitt
c. Redgrave. Gunner A. l. Mackenzie,
Commander W. W. Kimball Lieut.. A. p.
Niblack, Lieut. W. J. Sears Chief Engin-
eer Zane. Naval Cadet Frank T. Evans,
Chief Engineer John r. Edwards. Naval
Cadet II. J. Edison, and Lieut.. Ridley Nc
Lean.
The Holland was designed and built
by Lewis Nixon at the Crescent Shipyard.
Elizabeth. y. J. Mr.. Nixon also designed
the plans for the battleships Indiana and
Massachusetts. he was a lieutenant in the
navy. but resigned his position in order to
supervise the building OF the Holland. II
cost the Holland Submarine Boat Company
between 5000 900 and $500 600 to build the
boat. The invention has been patented in
all countries, and the company will build
submarine boats for any nation that may
order them. We are willing 20 sell the
patents for the different countries and
have already received some fattering Of
fers, which to consider thoroughly. we
have not as yet found sufficient time.
Mr.. CreeCy said the Navy Department as
a rule. does not look with favor upon any
innovation which is suggested 10 them by
any person who is not connected with the
Navy Department. This is a bad practice
ne said and is not very encouraging 20 In
the Holland were so many that the Navy
Department could not very well afiord TO
disregard them.
Continuing. Mr.. Creecy said: The idea
Of submarine boats is not q new one. as
Fulton in 1S0O-lSO1 built a diving boat
which was propelled by two parallel screws. I
1t was made to descend and ascend by
means Of screws which worked vertically
The experiments were first made at Rouen.
then AT Havre. From Havre, Fulton went
10 Brest. During that journey he greatly
disturbed the canOneers OF the coast bat
teries, who saw him suddenly disappear un-
der the water and reaPpear few moments
later on the surface.
Soon afterward he built at Paris a second
boat and gave il the name Nautilus. Fin
ished in June, 1901, the Nautilus was tried
on the Seine.
BY direction OF a government commits
sion. a small vessel was provided and Full
ton instructed TO destroy il. He placed un-
der the vessel. by means OF the Nautilus.
a torpedo. which blew it into fragments. /
Notwithstanding this success. the French |
Government did not think It ought any
longer to encourage submarine navigation. |
Besides. Napoleon grew tired Of waiting for |
the accomplishment Of certain improve
ments, which were judged necessary, and /
finally declared the invention impractical
bic. Eight years later committee said:
mere rs no longer any OOuDJ Jnat SUD /
marine navigation may be established very ]
expeditiously and at little cost This re-
port bears the date Of April IL. 1910"
Being asked whether the United States
Government had made any effort yet to ex-
clusively possess all the patents, Mr..
Creecy answered IN the negative, but
smiled significantly and said that the !
French Government appeared to be taking
a more than ordinary interest In the inven-
ton, and had detailed a special officer from
France to investigate the boat. The report
to his government is Of very much salts
faction and encouragement to us"
The Electric Boat Company and the Hol-
land Submarine Boat Company occupy a
suite Of rooms in the COrcoran Building.
Mr.. c. E. Creecy is their Washington rep
resentative, and Mr.. Z. B. Frost the gen
eral secretary Of the company, has made
it his headquarters, as has also the chief
engineer of the concern.