The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-07-28
ORIGINAL UNDER WATER TER
RoR CRUDE AFFAIR, ANERI-
CAN INVENTION.
BRITISH OFFER REWARD
Attempts Of Undersea Craft Failed
But English Were FRIGHTENED
And Sought Inventor.


language has taken up so much of
our national thought in the past
year as submarine. and it is interest
: ing to know that the inventor of that
type of boat was a Connecticut man.
The career of the first underwater
vessel ever built was short, but dur
ing its active existence il caused the
British Admiralty about as much
worry and trouble as the German
"U" boats are doing to-day, says the
St Louis Star.
1t was in the year 1742 that Da-
vid Bushnell, the inventor, was
born He first saw light of day on
his fathers farm at Westbrook. In
formation about him is scarce, and
not always reliable. However, we
know that he stayed on his fathers
farm until he was 81 years old. His
father died in 1863, and shortly af-
terward David Bushnell entered Yale
College. In those days boys enter
ed college at an early age-general-
Iy about IA or Is years old. but this
fact did not deter Mr.. Bushnell from
registering. He was 81, but he
wasn't too old to learn.
The idea of the submarine boat
seems to be with him early in his
college life, the Hartford Courant
reiis Us, but he did nothing about It
until after graduation. The first
step he took, after receiving the
much coveted diploma, was to prove
that powder would explode under
water. Why this fact needed to be
demonstrated is more than we can
tell, but in order to enlighten the
world, and prove to his own satisfac-
ton that it would explode when so
buried, Mr.. Bushnell placed some in
an especially prepared box, and
placed the box in the water, under
a plank and several barrels of stones.
When the explosion occurred, bar
rels, stones and water went high and
far, and David Bushnell was salts
fed.
IN April of the year 1877 he in
formed Gov. Trumbull and the coun-
Gil that he had a contrivance that
could blow up the whole British ma
Wy. Gov. Trumbull listened and was
so deeply impressed with the prac-
ticability of the idea, that he render
ed Mr.. Bushnell all the service he
could in the construction of that first
underwater boat. When finished it
looked more like huge turtle than
like a boat, so its builder called it
the american Turtle"
1t was seven feet long and about
as many feet wide. 1t carried a
compass and a barometer; the latter
instrument to tell how far below the
surface of the water he was. The
several openings were fitted with
heavy glass. and the interior was
lighted with phosphorus. The bal
last was put under the keel in such
a manner that it could be lowered
and used as an anchor. When the
operator desired to descend he open
a valve in the bottom of the boat and
let in the required amount of water,
and when he wanted to come to the
surface he made use of two brass
force pumps that were provided for
that purpose. Sufficient air could be
carried to last the crew of one man,
all that the boat would hold, thirty
minutes. As gasoline engines and
electric motors were still unknown,
the only power that could be used
TO propel the boat was man power,
and so the operator was obliged 10
act as his own engine. Just above
the rudder were placed two hollow
oak logs containing the powder
$50 pounds each. These magazines.
being lighter than water, would rise
against The bottom of the ship to be
destroyed. In order to insure their
staying where they were put the OPP
orator was to screw them to the ill
fated ship. A little clocklike device
inside these magazines regulated the
explosion. 1t could be set for any
length of time up to twelve hours,
but if the internal machine" was
discovered and taken aboard for clos
er inspection. as was actually done
once, a little wheel on the outside
would revolve and set the mechan-
ism to 20 Off in five minutes.
The first experiment was made on
the Eagle, sixty-fOur-gun ship ly-
ing at anchor in New York harbor.
A brother of David Bushnell intend
ed TO. act as crew, but he felt sick.
and so was unable to fill the post.
The honor was finally conferred up
on o.. Sergeant in one of the regi-
ments stationed there. Whether
the Sergeant really welcomed the
opportunity or not, we do not know,