The sun., 1916-11-10
INVENTORS WHO HAVE TRIED TO CON.
STRUCT AN UNDERSEA BOAT.
A Survey Of Their Creations From Bournes Fantastic Craft to HOLLAND,
Fighting Submarine

In the interesting controversy which
some OF THE SUNS correspondents have
been carrying OF regarding the award
OF the honor Of being the inventor OF
the submarine as we know the boat to-
day the chief point seems to he whether
or not the Peacemaker. after the plans
OF Captain a. l.. Tuck. or the Fenian
Ram. as the Hollands was called by
one Of the imaginative writer's of THE
SrN at the time this ship was being
built. was the first submersiblc to prove
more or less effective.
We know beyond a doubt that the
Holland-9. which has been awarded to
the Bronx International Exposition for
exhibition purposes during the next
year. was the first boat to undergo sat
isfactorily tests prescribed by n Govern
ment. This boat. as the figures will
show. was Mr.. Hollands ninth effort.
and II the controversy Is to turn upon
tine question of who first conducted ex-
perimental work to produce "A sub
marine. which includes Mr.. Hollands
earlier models as well az this boat
named the Pescemaker, 1t will probably
Inc we'll for us to dip back into the past
a few hundred years.
In looking up the history Of the SUBJ
marine | have found that In 1904 Will
lam Bourne. an English inventor, con-
structed n submarine that was the won
der of that time. although 1t eventually
proved impracticable az a water craft.
In 1G9 an unnamed British inventor
built an egg shaped wooden craft hav-
ing " oars on each side and goat
leather bottles let into the sides of the
BOAT. into which the water was ad-
nitted or expelled as the boat was low
cred or raised. This attachment, in a
roush and ready way. was the fore
runner or the water ballast compart-
ments OF the submarine as we know It
now A pipe several feet in length
brought air from the surface to the
Doat's single occupant though there
was no per!scope. Tie records avail
able tend 10 show that this crude sub
marine actually dived.
The next submarine OF which we have
II record was the invention In l777
OF Professor Bushnell. a Connecticut
man. 1t was a peculiar clam shaped
vessel and called the American Turtle.
l. was like a large clam shell in the
centre OF which the operator sat pro-
polling tine device forward by leg
power. and in the front and above II
was equipped with large augers. which
we're the sole means OF attaci,. This
was In the days when ships generally
were OF the old wooden bottom variety.
Professor Bushnell submitted his device
Ia General Washington. and made an
offer to steal UP to and scuttlc the Brit
ish fleet which WAS blockading New
York city. 1t is recorded that with the
consent OF General Washington, Pro-
fessor Bushnell made an attempt, but,
unfortunately for him. he picked out a
null sheathed with copper. "A novelty In
those days. His plans came to naught.
Next in line In the history OF sub
marine endeavor comes Robert Fulton,
the inventor OF the steamboat. Even be-
fore he Mad secured the necessary
backing to build the Clermont In this
country he had been IN France in 1877
cndeavor!ng to interest the Emperor Ma
poleon in the building OF steamboats, |
for tho invasion of England and OF
submarines for the destruction Of the
British fleet. The drawings Of Fulton's
submarine as well as OF the American
Turtle still are in existence. and IL Is
said that while Fulton succeeded In re-
naming submerged for four hours in
the River Seine. and approaching and
destroying a hulk that had been placed
in the river for the purpose of testing !
his invention. he was looked upon az
being a hit eccentric. to say the least. |
lie was forced to depart for America
without seeing his hopes realized. 1t
he said that the jsalousies OF those
who surrounded the Emperor kent the
fun facts OF Fulton's triumph from
reaching the great Napoleon.
Then comes 4 lapse in the develop
ment Of TIE submarine until 1850. |
a Bavarian by the name OF Bauer
quilt n submarine in which the method
OF control WAS by shifting n weight for
and aft in order to dive and rise.
This boat collapsed In the harhor of
Niel on one of its trial trips ana re-
buried In the mud until 1887. ,
1t was found during the deepen
ing of Kiel harbor inc taken to Berlin.
It is now in the Museum Of
.Ocearography.
In 1919 a man named Delinv in Chi
patented m egg shaped submarine
came near meeting the requisite
II had two iron tanks. one
for water and one for air, for submerg-
ing and rising. but the complications