The Romance of Modern Invention: Containing Interesting Descriptions in Non-technical Language of Wireless Telegraphy, Liquid Air, Modern Artillery, Submarines, Dirigible Torpedoes, Solar Motors, Airships, &c. &c.Williams, Archibald
Science
The Romance of Modern Invention: Containing Interesting Descriptions in Non-technical Language of Wireless Telegraphy, Liquid Air, Modern Artillery, Submarines, Dirigible Torpedoes, Solar Motors, Airships, &c. &c.
Williams, Archibald
Inventions
“Directly behind the turret, up against the roof on the port side, is
the little engine by which the vessel is steered; it is worked by
compressed air. Fastened to the roof on the starboard side is the
diving-engine, with discs that look as large as dinner-plates stood on
end. These discs are diaphragms on which the water-pressure exerts an
influence, counteracting certain springs which are set to keep the
diving rudders at a given pitch, and thus insuring an immersion of an
exact depth during a run.
“At one side is a cubic steel box--the air compressor; and directly in
the centre of this part of the boat is a long pendulum, just as there
is in the ordinary torpedo, which, by swinging backwards and forwards
as the boat dives and rises, checks a tendency to go too far down, or
to come up at too sharp an angle. On the floor are the levers which,
when raised and moved in certain directions, fill or empty the
submerging tanks. On every hand are valves and wheels and pipes in
such apparent confusion as to turn a layman’s head.
“There are also pumps in the boat, a ventilating apparatus, and a
sounding contrivance, by means of which the channel is picked out when
running under water. This sounding contrivance consists of a heavy
weight attached to a piano wire passing from a reel out through a
stuffing-box in the bottom. There are also valves which release fresh
air to the crew, although in ordinary runs of from one-half to one
hour this is not necessary, the fresh air received from the various
exhausts in the boat being sufficient to supply all necessities in
that length of time.”
Another submersible of somewhat different design is the production of
the Swedish inventor, Mr. Nordenfelt. This boat is 9-1/2 metres in
length, and has a displacement of sixty tons. Like the _Goubet_ it
sinks only in a horizontal position, while the _Holland_ plunges
downward at a slight angle. On the surface a steam-engine of 100
horse-power propels it, and when the funnel is closed down and the
vessel submerges itself, the screws are still driven by superheated
steam from the large reservoir of water boiling at high pressure which
maintains a constant supply, three circulation pumps keeping this in
touch with the boiler. The plunge is accomplished by means of two
protected screws, and when they cease to move the reserve buoyancy of
the boat brings it back to the surface. It is steered by a rudder
which a pendulum regulates. The most modern of these boats is of
English manufacture, built at Barrow, and tried in Southampton Water.
The vessels hitherto described should be termed submersible rather
than submarine, as they are designed to usually proceed on the
surface, and submerge themselves only for action when in sight of the
enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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