Part 64

Robert Fulton, the man whose genius made steam navigation a success, was the next to turn his attention to submarine boats, and submarine warfare by submerged mines. A large part of his life was devoted to the solution of this problem. He went to France with his project and interested Napoleon Bonaparte, who became his patron and who was the means of securing sufficient funds to build a boat which was called the “Nautilus.” With this vessel Fulton made numerous descents, and it is reported that he covered 500 yards in a submerged run of seven minutes.

~HOW SUBMARINES WERE DEVELOPED~

In the spring of 1801 he took the “Nautilus” to Brest, and experimented with her for some time. He and three companions descended in the harbor to a depth of 25 feet and remained one hour, but he found the hull would not stand the pressure of a greater depth. They were in total darkness during the whole time, but afterward he fitted his craft with a glass window 1¹⁄₂ inches in diameter, through which he could see to count the minutes on his watch. He also discovered during his trials that the mariner’s compass pointed equally as true under water as above it. His experiments led him to believe that he could build a submarine vessel with which he could swim under the surface and destroy any man-of-war afloat. When he came before the French Admiralty, however, he was met with blunt refusal, one bluff old French admiral saying: “Thank God, France still fights her battles on the surface, not beneath it,” a sentiment which apparently has changed since those days, as France now has a large fleet of submarines. After several years of unsuccessful efforts in France to get his plans adopted, Fulton finally went over to England and interested William Pitt, then chancellor, in his schemes. He built a boat there, and succeeded in attaching a torpedo beneath a condemned brig provided for the purpose, blowing her up in the presence of an immense throng. Pitt induced Fulton to sell his boat to the English government and not bring it to the attention of any other nation, thus recognizing the fact that if this type of vessel should be made entirely successful, England would lose her supremacy as the “Mistress of the Seas.”

Fulton consented to do so, but would not pledge himself regarding his own country, stating that if his country should become engaged in war, no pledge could be given that would prevent him from offering his services in any way which would be for its benefit.

The English Government paid him $75,000 for this concession. Fulton then returned to New York and built the “Clermont” and other steamboats, but did not entirely give up his ideas of submarine navigation, and at the time of his death was at work on plans for a much larger boat.

Fulton had a true conception of the result of submarine warfare, and in a letter he says: “Gunpowder has within the last three hundred years totally changed the art of war, and all my reflections have led me to believe that this application of it will, in a few years, put a stop to maritime wars, give that liberty on the seas which has been long and anxiously desired by every good man, and secure to Americans that liberty of commerce, tranquillity, and independence which will enable citizens to apply their mental and corporeal facilities to useful and humane pursuits, to the improvement of our country and the happiness of the whole people.”

After Fulton’s death spasmodic attempts were made by various inventors looking to the solving of the difficult problem, but no very serious efforts were put forth until the period of the Civil War, and then a number of submarine boats were built by the Confederates. These boats were commonly called “Davids,” and it was one of them that sank the United States steamship “Housatonic” in Charleston Harbor on the night of the 17th of February, 1864. This submarine vessel drowned four different crews, a total of thirty men, during her brief career. At the time she sank the “Housatonic” her attack was anticipated, and sharp lookout was kept at all times; but, notwithstanding their vigilance, she succeeded in getting sufficiently close to plant a torpedo on the end of a spar, and sink this fine, new ship of 1400 tons displacement.

It will be seen from the above description that these vessels, while able to go under water, were not controllable.

After the Civil War several other inventors took up the problem of trying to design a submarine vessel that could be controlled as to maintenance of depth and direction under water.

In Europe, Gustave Zede, Goubet and Drzwiezki, and in this country Mr. Baker and Mr. John P. Holland, built experimental vessels.

In 1877 Mr. Holland built a small boat which was called the “Fenian Ram.” It is stated that this vessel was built with capital furnished by the “Clan-na-Gael,” with the idea of using it against the British fleet in an attempt to free Ireland.

While some slight success was met with by these inventors, it was not until about 1897 that any real progress was made.

~THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL SUBMARINE WITH HYDROPLANES~

In 1893, Simon Lake, an American inventor, submitted plans to the United States Naval authorities at Washington for a submarine boat that would navigate between the surface and the bottom by the use of what he called “hydroplanes,” which were designed to cause the vessel to submerge on an even keel. Mr. Lake’s design of vessel was also provided with wheels to enable it to navigate on the water bed. It was also provided with a diving compartment to enable the crew to don diving suits and leave the vessel, in working on wrecks, cutting cables, planting mines, etc.

In 1904 and 1905 he built a small vessel to demonstrate his principles and succeeded in successfully navigating the vessel on the bottom of New York Bay. He then built a larger vessel of about 50 tons displacement for further experimental purposes. This vessel was called the “Argonaut,” and was built in Baltimore in 1906 and 1907. This boat was successful from the start and covered thousands of miles in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast, New York Bay and Long Island Sound, and was the first successful submarine boat to navigate in the open sea and on the water bed of the ocean.

Mr. Holland had, in 1894, received a contract for a submarine vessel for the United States Navy, and her construction was started in 1895. This vessel was called the “Plunger.” This was the first official recognition given to a submarine boat in the United States.

The Government of France had also given an order for a submarine boat which was under construction at this period.

The “Plunger” was never submerged, her construction covering a period of several years, and she was finally abandoned. Mr. Holland had, however, in the meantime prepared the designs of another vessel which he called “The Holland.” This vessel was accepted by the United States Government in 1900, and a number of other vessels of this type were built. These vessels were known as submarines of the diving type. They were controlled by means of a horizontal and vertical rudder placed at the stern of the vessel and the boat was, by means of these rudders, inclined down by the bow, and driven under the water by the force of their screw propeller.

England also built a number of submarines of the diving type.

In 1901 Mr. Lake brought out a larger vessel of his type, which was controlled by hydroplanes, which vessel was sold to the Russian Government, was shipped across the Atlantic to Kronstadt, and from there by rail to Vladivostok, and was in commission off Vladivostok just before the close of the Russian-Japanese War.

Mr. Lake then received orders from the Russian and other Governments for a number of additional boats of the even keel type, to be controlled by hydroplanes.

Mr. Lake’s principles of control have been now generally adopted by all Governments, as providing the safest and most reliable means of control of the vessel when navigating under the surface.

The United States Government has recently adopted this type to be built in their Navy Yards, and most other builders have adopted the hydroplanes as the means of maintaining depth when running beneath the surface.

This is one of the services to which submarine boats of this type lend themselves with peculiar fitness. It is possible for them to carry on this work with deliberation and to success, under the very guns and searchlights of a vigilant foe, without the slightest danger of being detected.

This would be accomplished preferably by the co-operation of two boats. They would take opposite sides in the channel, with a connecting rope extending out through the diving compartment. It is obvious that as they move along the rope will sweep the whole mine-field and gather in the connecting cables. This would be indicated at once to the operators in the diving compartment by the load upon the sweeping line. A grapple may then be attached to the rope and sent out of one boat and hauled into the other, and thus drag the mine so near that a diver could go out and destroy its electrical connections or cut it adrift. Should the latter operation be the aim, the grapple may be so fashioned as to accomplish this without the diver leaving the compartment. This latter method is one strongly recommended by some of the most prominent military authorities on submarine defense.]

There is no trim or equilibrium to maintain. When the propelling machinery stops the boat comes to rest. A cyclometer attached to these wheels gives a fairly reliable reading of the distance traveled under normal circumstances. As the currents do not carry her out of her course, and as her gauges give an absolute record of changing depths, it is possible to so navigate upon the bottom with remarkable precision. In shallow waters this method has many advantages.]

SHOWING TUBE HANDLING CARGO IN SUNKEN SHIP.]

Recovering Cargo or Submerged Objects Without the Aid of Divers.