The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-04

patriotic societies
Previous to his Ram" Mr.. Hol-
land built small one-man boat Lat
/ er the Ram was hauled UP to New
Haven, Conn. where II was hidden
for wears under pile OF lumber, AZ
daring scheme revolved about TINS
submarine. A number of submarines.
/ II was planned. were TO he built. They
were to cross the Atlantic in special
ship with water tight compartments
| extending below the water line into
! which the submarines were TO nave
! been noated and n sea door closed.
On arrival of the English coast, this
! special ship which was apparently
/ harmless merchantmen. was to locate
! the British war vessels in some OF
the harhors. then sail in and anchor
| near them. The little submarines
would then he released from the
mother ship and proceed 10 sink as
many British vessels an they could
by firing explosive shells into them
below the water line. The novelty OF
such .an~attack was countea upon TO
spread CONSERVATION among the Brit
fish feet and thus enable the sub
marines to escape.
Other Submarines.
In succession follow the names of
other men who tried TO conquer the
depts of the sea with a boat which
would really 60. There G. ". Garrett.
of Liverpool. who brought out his
boat under special patent in 1878:
Lieujrnant Isaac Peril in 1887 built
"A Vt Rim which the motive. power
was supplied from electric accumula-
tors. Gbubet built several boats in
1855 and up to the year 1890: Pro-
.fessor Josiah l.. Tuck In 1885 presented
10 the public a vessel called the
'Peacemaker." the novel feature of
which consisted or "caustic soda
boiler for generating steam for sub
m erged work. A man by the name
Of Waddington Of England. had his
own boat built in 1855. In 1857
George II. Baker brought out an egg
shaped vessel which he ran submerged
by the use of side propellers driven
by hevel gears.
In 1898 the United States govern
men. gave a new impetus to the .devel-
! ops rnept OF undersea craft by making
an appropriation OF 100000 for
submarine which would really work
| anu advertised for inventors to supply
designs
| II is Interesting TO note that only
three men answered the governments
| advertisement. They were, George c.
/ Baker: ]. p. Holland and Simon Lake.
/ Mr.. Lake submitted designs for
J twin screw vessel eighty feet long, ten
I feet beam and li5 tons displacement.
( The design called for double hulled
! vessel and four torpedo tubes, two Ar
4 ing aft and two forward, The new
and novel feature which attracted the
most attention in Lakes design and
/ the most skepticism was the claim
! that the vessel could navigate over the
bed of the sea and that while navigat-
/ ing on the water bed. a door could be
opened in the bottom of compart-
ment and the water kept from enter
ing the vessel by means of compressed
air, and that the crew could by dom
ming diving suits, leave and enter the
vessel while submerged.
In 1894 Mr.. Lake built a small ves-
sci called the "Argonaut. Jr." She
could be propelled at moderate
walking gait along the bottom. This
| boat proved Lakes theory. 1t was
fitted with an airlock and divers COM
partment, A door opened into the sea
and not a drop of water came into the
vessel. BY putting on pair of rubber
boots the operator could walk along
the sea bottom. push the boat along
with him and pick up objects from
the sea.
Today. this salvaging submarine
perfected in detail. yet essentially the
sane, Is working in Long Island sound.
Four years Of warfare dcmonstrat-
ed the practically Of the dreams OF
these early inventors. History was
1 made by the submarine, II was, the
submarine which precipitated Amer
lea into the war. Now comes the lat
est milestone in the progress OF this
marvellous undersea craft, which
shows possibilities vastly greater than
| Jules Nernes dream OF go 900
Leagues Under the Sea"