The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-11-23

~"NiS GHoFts 70 Sicw Up 6rGtlSn
Wsrships and Nearly Sueceeded-lts
untinely Fate.
The first submarine craft which real
y nayigated under serious conditions
was the invention Of an American
Daniel Bushnell Of SaybrOok. Conn.
Bushnell was graduated from Yale
in l175 and in that same year COM
pleted the submarine vessel on which
he had been al work since III He
does not seem 10 have named the boat
himself. but il has come 10 lie known
as the Turtle because OF its shape.
The entrance 10 the vessel CORE
sponded TO the opening made by The
swells OF a turtle shell at its head.
The boat was aJoGt seven and a half
feet long and six feet deep. large
enough to contain the operator and
sufficient air to last him half an hour.
Ii was ballasted chiefly with perIna-
nent lead ballast. In addition to this.
n mass Of lead 200 pounds in weight
could lee let down forty or fifty feet
below tie vessel. enabling the operator
10 anchor or 10 rise quickly TO the sur
face in case Of accident
A water gauge illuminated by means
OF a cork with phosphorus on il. which
floated on the water within the gauge.
registered the depth OF the Turtle. BY
means Of a compass, also Illuminated
with phosphorus. the operator was able
10 direct the course Of his vessel.
An oar formed on the principle Of
an Old fashioned screw was fixed in
the fory--r! part Of the Turtle. The
operator b. tlrning ii in one direction
could prDrel The vessel forward or in
the other could propel it backward.
Another or. placed near the top Of
the Tur e. orked on the same pril-
ciple. p 2eans Of the latter the
operato-. after "aving established the
equilibrium % the Vessel. could move
T. either upward o. { wnward. \ rud-
Ger In the after p.rJ OF the Turtle could
he used fer scC..ilE.
The entrance 10 tie boat was elliptic
a and so small as 10 rarely admit one
person. II was surrounded by a broad
e'Hpticai iron hand. tie lower edge OF
which was let into TIE wood. Above
tie upper edge Of this iron band
was a crown resembling a hat. 1t
shut water tight upon the iron band.
TO which it was hGng with hinges.
turning over sideways when opened.
In the crown were three round doors.
ore directly in front and one on each
side. and large enough to put the hand
through. These, when opened. admit
ted fresh air Their shutters were
ground perfectly tight and were hung
with hinges. There were several glass
windows In the crown for the admis-
sion of light and two air pipes.
A ventilator drew fresh air through
one of the pipes and discharged it at
the bottom Of the vessel. The impure
air escaped through the other pipe.
These. of course. were used only when
the Turtle was floating on the surface
OF the water. The valves opened au-
tomatically when they came ont Of the
water and closed as soon as they en-
tered il.
When the operator wished 10 de-
sccrd he placed his foot On the lever
Of the valve. 10y which means he open
ed a large aperture in the bottom OF
the vessel. thereby allowing the water
to enter the tank. When a sufficient
quantity had been obtained 10 cause
the vessel TO descend very gradually
lie closed the valve. The aperture IN
der this valve was covered by a per-
rated plate.
he water could he discharged from
49,. 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 n the dark what he wished
and without turning either TO the right
or 10 the left. A firm piece of wood
was framed parallel TO the short diam
cter OF the vessel TO prevent the sides
seat for the operator.
Ia the fore part Of the bTim of the
brass crown was 4 socket With an iron
tube passing through il. At the top Of
the tube was a wood screw fixed
by means Of rod which passed
through the tube. When the wood
screw had been made fast to some OBJ
sect il could lie cast of by unscrewing
the rod. Behind the vessel and above
the rudder was attached a magazine
composed OF two blocks Of oak wood.
followed out so as TO hold 100 pounds
OF powder. This was fired 10y percus-
sion device. timed by means of clock
work. A rope extended from the mag
azine 10 the wood screw.
To destroy a ship the operator was
TO submerge the Turtle. navigate it IN
Ill it was underneath the ship that was
10 be destroyed, screw the wood screw
into her bottom, cast of the magazine
and move away. The magazine, being
buoyant, would Immediately rise
against the bottom Of the ship. The