Evening journal., 1913-10-14
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Getting a Stolen Glimpse
of EriCSSOn'S Sub
marine
BY Holland.

In conversation which | had in 1887
with the late Cornelius Bushnell, who
was associated with Ericsson in the
construction Of the Monitor and whose
service at that time was important
enough to persuade the secretary OF the
navy. Gideon Welles, to man the Moni-
tor for .he first test which resulted in
her conflict with the Confederate iron
clad Merrimac, asked Mr.. Bushnell
what he thought OF Ercsson's invention
OF an ironclad boat which could be sub
merged and could fire a destructive shot
at the hull Of a war vessel
"Oh. you mean the Destroyer" re-
piled Mr.. Bushnell "Well, | suppose
this boat is development of an idea
which came TO Ericsson when he was
working out the plans for the Moni-
tor know he thought that If Nes-
sci could be built which would float
although almost completely submerged,
as WAS the ease with the Monitor de-
struciivc vessel could be built with "A
capacity TO float beneath the surface
OF the water and 20 carry powerful guns
which could be discharged at unsuspect
ing vessels
II don't know whether the Destroyer
which ! understand Ericsson has built
will really accomplish all he claims ior
H. but ! am inclined TO think that il
viii point the way for the construction
of a perfectly safe and adequate sub
marine war vessel
Ericsson in this case. as in almost all
others associated with his inventions
! is very close -mouthcd. lie will moi
tolerate amy inquiries lie was some
what irritable and was quick 10 anger
aud | suppose for that reason the pub
lie has had little knowledge about tho
war vessel which he has invented
81 saw that vessel" I said TO Mr.
Bushnell. "in spite Of Ericsson's pre-
cautions lest any eye save his own and
those of his employees should see the
boat"
"lhen you were more fortunate thar
any of the many other curious persons
who so often have asked me about this
eccentric war vessel"
Then Mr. Bushnell asked me to tell
him how il happened that ] was abl,
to see the boat before any test of il
was made. In reply ! said; 81 had oc.
casion TO 20 TO one of the piers at which
ocean steamships dock ON the Manhat-
tan side Of the Hudson river. II was
in the fall of 1850 While engaged in
the matter which took me there. a mi
nor officer OF one of the steamship lines
said to me. coniidcntiallv, 'Nou have got
good chance TO see that queer ship Er-
lesson is making. with which he pro-
poses 10 fight war vessels This officer
pointed TO little shed. which seemed
TO he sort OF boathouse. and which
lay just beyond the pier upon which !
was. standing. No one would have sur
missed that the shed was anything but
one of the kind similar TO those in
which dealers in oysters shelter their
craft.
81 went directly from the picr to q
float and then looked into an opening
in the shed. There was pleasant
faced man there who. | inferred. wa,
the watchman. He thought ! was on
OF Ericsson's employees. He willmgl,
took me inside OF the shed and there
saw the iron hull partly submerged
The man told me that a few thing
were 10 be done to the boat and then
was 10 be taken out into the Hudson
river, completely submerged eXceptin
Tor little roofing II had one gun
whose muzzlc was in the water then
and il looked to me like gun powerful
enough TO discharge a proiectle weigh
ing fifteen hundred pounds"
THAT" said Mr. Bushnell, "was un
doubtedly the Destroyer Ericsson
would have been frantic had he know
you saw it. The gun which was th
sole armament OF the boat Ericsson in
tends to have discharged by gun-cotton
How practicable the invention is can
not tell but ] am certain that il vii
/ demonstrate that a boat can be bull
capable OF being noated beneath tn
surface of the water and can carry
! gun which win discharge a deadly pro
\ iectile beneath the water directly at th
hull OF a war vessel.
In these later days OF torpedo boat
and submarine vessels, there appears Z
have been justification of the expccts
tion of Ericsson and the conviction O
Mr. Bushnell
Copyright, 1918, by Z. J. Edwards A
rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell q