The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-25
EDUCATIONAL.

tomatically when they came out of the water and closed as soon as they en- tered it.
 When the operator wished to de- scend he placed his foot on the lever of the valve by which means he open ed large aperture in the bottom of the vessel, thereby allowing the water to enter the tank. When sufficient quantity had been obtained to cause the vessel to descend very gradually he closed the valve. The aperture un- der this valve was covered by a per- forated plate.
 The water could be discharged from the tank by the brass force pump. When the vessel leaked the bilge could be pumped out by similar pump, Everything in the Turtle was brought so near the operator that he could find in the dark what he wished and without turning either to the right or to the left. A firm piece of wood was framed parallel to the short di- amter of the vessel to prevent the sides from yielding. This also served as a seat for the operator.
 Tn the fore part of the brim of the brass crown was a socket with an iron tube passing through it. At the top of the tube was a wood screw fixed by means of a rod which passed through the tube. When the wood screw had. been made fast to some ob- ject it could be cast off by unscrewing the rod. Behind the vessel and above the rudder was attached magazine composed of two blocks of oak wood, hollowed out so as to hold 150 pounds f pwder. This was fired by a percus- sin device, timed by means of clock work. A rope extended from the mag azine to the wood screw.
 To destroy a ship the operator was to suhmerge the Turtle, navigate 1t url- til it was underneath the ship that was to be destroyed, screw the wood screw into her bottom, cast off the magazine and move away. The mag azine, being buoyant, would immedi- ately rise against the bottom of the ship. The clockwork which fired 1t was started by the casting off of the magazine and gave the operator time to retire to safe distance.
 Bushnell made many trials of the Turtle before sending it against a British vessel. He found 1t very diffi- cult to obtain slSillful operator. In respect to thi sraotfp- koas-lt konpbt respect to this part of his work he wrote as follows:
 "In the first essay with the sub marine vessel ] took care to prove it's strength to su5ain the great pressure of the incumbent water when sunk deep before I trusted any person to descend much below the surface and I never suffered any person to go under water without having strong piece of rigging made fast to it until l found him we'll acquainted with the operations necessary for his safety.
 After that made him descend and continue at particular depths without rising or sinking, row by the com pass, approach vessel, go under her and fix the wood screw Into her bot tom until I thought him sufficiently expert to put my design into opera ton.
 T found, agreeable to my expecta- tions, that it required many trials to make a person of common ingenuity a skillful operator. The first I employed was very ingenious but was taken sick in the campaign of 1776 at New York before he had an opportunity to make use of his skill and never recovered his health sufficiently afterward" Q
 He had had little experience with the Turtle and was therefore inexpert. Lee, however, successfully navigated the Turtle under the Eagle. He at tempted to fix the wooden screw Into he'd bottom but struck as he supposed, bar of iron which passed from the rudder hinge and was spiked under the ships quarter.
 Bushnell said that had Lee moved few inches, which he might have done without rowing I have no doubt but he would have found wood where he might have fixed the screw, or if the ship was sheathed with copper he might easily have pierced it; but not being well skilled in the management of the vessel in attempting to move to another place he lost the ship. Alter seeking for some time he rowed some distance and rose to the surface of the water, but found daylight had ad- vaneed so far that he durst not renew the attempt"
 On his return from the Eagle, Lee passed near Governors Island which was then occupied by the British. Be- ing in haste and thinking he was dis covered by the enemy, he cast off the