The first Holland power-propelled submarine boat (built 1881). Sketch made by the author after measuring the boat at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1915.] "She was built at the shops of the Delamater Iron Works, at the foot of West Thirteenth Street, New York, and launched in May, 1881. During her construction my curiosity was excited by the apparent incredulity of some of the engineers in the shop regarding the practicability of such a boat. Many objections were urged against her, especially by men who should have known better, but the trouble with them was almost the same as I encountered later among the staff officers of the navy, viz., because they were, almost without exception, of English, Welsh, or Scotch descent, experienced in all kinds of shipbuilding. They appeared to know by intuition that the project was absurd. They proposed many difficulties that were not solved for them. I also noticed that many of the men appeared to take a deep interest in the progress of the work, even though they never made any inquiries to my knowledge, yet they observed everything, because there was no way of preventing them. I also noticed what appeared to be consequences of this curiosity of foreigners regarding an American machine. "During the following twelve months many visitors came to look over the submarine, mostly Swedes, Russians, Italians, and Germans. I was much pleased to meet two of them who apparently had no idea of the jealousy with which some people guard their military secrets, viz., Ali Ritza and Hassan Effendi. But, very clearly to me, they had no idea of the importance of what was expected from the machine, or, much more likely, they had been persuaded by their acquaintances of English connections that the project would never amount to anything because it did not originate in England. The fact that English opinion in naval matters governed the opinion of every American was made quite clear to me later on. "This nineteen-ton boat was launched in 1881. She was thirty-one feet long, six feet beam, seven feet four inches in depth, and was propelled by a Brayton petroleum engine. Her crew consisted of three men--the pilot, engineer, and gunner. She laid at the Morris & Cummings Dredging Company's dock in Jersey City until July 3, 1883, during which time many interesting experiments were made with her. "The first run on the surface and while submerged was made in the basin, or passage, east of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The first tests made were the surface runs to test the engine, clutch, gearing, etc. These proved very successful, and the next in order was to submerge the boat at the dock and determine whether the seams were all right, and also to test the efficiency of the compressed-air tanks for supplying oxygen for breathing and giving impulses for expelling water from the ballast tanks.