The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-24
Submarine Without Coming Tower, Plan of Bridgeport Expert, Who Expects Vessel to Revolutionize Undersea Boat Construc- tion.
"Sponsons, '' Cigar Shaped Chambers, To Be substi-
 tuted For Tower More Speed, Less Danger of Be
 ing Seen and Better Load ing Facilities. /

simon Lake has again taken a pro- gresstve step in submarine boat con- struction. Patents for new buoyancy and collision protectors were granted to him under date or April by the United States government.
 In patent, serial number 1,1SO26 application for which was made in August, 1914, MT. Lake, through his patent attorney, Mercer D. BOndeI of this city, set forth many new and novel claims, chief among which are the features of greater freeboard, greater metrocetric stability and ex- taordinary increased buoyanoy
 To give an idea of the improve ments that are technically called 1ssponsons,' one must first understand that a submarine boat is constructed on the form of a huge cigar, the inter for of which is hollow and filled with machinery and air. This weight, even with the air included, when sl1bnerg- ed, would sink like a bottle over-fled with water. The air would be con- centrated in one end and the boat would sink by the other To over come this principle, the coming tow CT was conceived by original subma- rine@ builders and later utilized as a vantage point for observation. Prac- uca11y the only lateral stability of a submarine today is in the coming tower WheTe the ar IS cOn11ned 1n an effort to seek 8 level when the boat is subm The stability heretofore is known to have been slight, meas ured in pounds between 300 and 400
 The danger from collision with some underwater object or surface vessel has always been the horror of under-sea navigators.
 Within the last two years the lateral stability has been further decreased be the necessity of imposing a super structure upon the cigar-shaped hull for the purpose of mounting lateral torpedo tubes and disappearing rapid fire guns. While air chambers have been provided they were of such bulk and the locations fore and aft were in such position, it is said, as to cause subnergence at too great angles for practical safety. It is because of this lack of buoyance that many of the German t'subs'' are believed to have been lost in the present war and Eng fish boats-of the o1d diving type are known to have been lost.
 MT. Lake has arranged on each side of the boat above the cigar-shaped hull and between the superstructure casing two or more sponsons, or hol- low cylindrical tubes. also cigar shaped, which are filled with air or lose or the other compounds known to navy officials These sponsons on the upper sides of the vessel, taper ing at both bow and stern in no way interfere with tS2e speed or navigation of the boat and at all times, on the surface or below act as additional sta bilizers. Their bu43yancy brings the craft higher to the surface when rid ing the waves and permit of longer rifle shots at an enemyAi They also act as protection against damage by ramming and cause the upper surface of a submarine to became flat instead of round, thereby greatly aiding in tn e loading and unloading of cargoes and the comfort of the crews when not in active service.
 It is likely that through the adop- ton of ths newest of inventions the coming towers, which heretofore have been the cause of much resistance when speeding beneath the waves, will be displaced to a, great extent. The sightig above surface may be done through a periscope, which will fold back when the vessel is submerged Naval constructors declare that this invention is one of the foremost that has been devised during the last de- cade.~