The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-13
UNDER THE SEAS
RESTLESS WAVES
Historic Waters of Hampton
Roads to be Scene of Odd
Submarine Cruise.
TRIAL TRIP OF UNIQUE SHIP
MUCH ATTENTION FROM THE
SCIENTIFIC WORLD GIVE PER.
FORMANCE AT JAMESTOWN.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 11-There will be
many queer craft in the historic wa
ters of Hampton Roads during the
coming summer and among them will
be one of recent invention which will
attract almost as much attention from
the scientific world as the ships of the
air which are to have prominent
place in the attractions of the James
town Exposition. This odd vessel of
the sea is submarine cruiser and as
many Exposition visitors may wish to
visit the bottom of the Roads in one
of these vessels, a description of the
first trip made by boat of this kind,
may be interesting.
This unique performance was made
possible by an invitation from Cap
tain George NJ Evans, skipper of the
submarine cruiser, Lake, the largest
craft of the kind ever built. to take
cruise in the boat on its first sub
merged run.
The run took place between the
hours of ten and twelve and was sue
cessful but exciting. Submerged to
a depth of about 80 feet, the Lake
cruised along the bottom for about
one mile at the rate of six miles an
hour. The boat answered both the YER
teal and horizontal rudders perfectly.
Standing in the coming tower with
one eye glued to the omniscope, Cap
tain Evans worked the wheel that
sent the Lake up and down, starboard
and port, at will. Only the limited
depth of the water kept the Lake
from going deeper.
During the trial the temperature
of the boat averaged about 80 degrees.
In spite of the fact that all of the
matches were tightly battened down
to prevent the admission of water, the
use of the compressed air tanks was
Captain Evans said that
compressed air was only used after
the boat has been down for two or
three hours. He said that the Lake
could stay down for two weeks if she
were properly provisioned, without
causing any illness among those in
side.
The Lake left her deck at the New
port News shipyard, where she was
built, about ten o'clock in the morn
ing After cruising about in the riv-
er for some time, Captain Evans gave
orders to close down all the matches
and to open the forward and after
tanks which meant that the Lake and
her human cargo were about to pay
a visit to the oysters. The boat quick
ly began to settle until her buoy
ancy amounted to but 500 pounds.
c.fa foir said tho
boat could be lifted by mans hand.
The descent was so gradual that it
was not noticeable. But for the queer
clock that registered the depth to
which the boat had descended it
would have been impossible to tell
the Lake was on the bottom
or on the surface. The boat was sub
merged by means of hydroplanes
along the sides of the vessel and a
horizontal rudder. When the depth
clock registered thirty five feet, Cap
tain Evans, who was then steering by
the top of the projecting ON
being entirely submerged, de-
cided that this was deep enough as
the bottom must have been near. The
Lakes nose was headed down the riv-
er and out of the depth of shipping as
Captain Evans had no desire to bring |
up under an ocean going steamer or
a seven masted schooner.
After the Lake had Travelled about |
a mile under the surface the master |
had a curiosity to see what was going |
On up above. He tilted the horizontal |
-udder upward and the vessel began |
% rise as she had sank, on an even |
Keel With the top of the omniscope |
Just clearing the surface, a small fish
ng smack was discovered anchored |
ust ahead The colored fisherman
.ook one look at the queer looking
monster of the deep moving swiftly
oward him, hauled up anchor more
,uickly than he had ever done before,
md made a bee line for the shore.
After this test was ended the BOAT
.ame to the surface and was headed
or shore This was the last trial trip
IS well as the first; for the Lake left
or Bridgeport, Connecticut. the home
# the inventor, Simon Lake, after
whom the boat was named.
There was practically no danger in
his submarine expedition TO the oc-
upants of the craft, as the boat could
lot have failed to return to the sur
ace after the tanks were emptied of
Tater In case of accident the Lakes
We ton keel could have been dropped,
nd then the boats buoyancy would
ave been certain TO have floated her.
n the run beneath the surface motor
over supplied by storage batteries
ras used The gasoline engines were
mployed only to propel the boat
lille cruising above the surface