Robert Fulton and the Submarine

by William Barclay Parsons

Description of the drawings of the Submarine Vessel, submarine bombs, and mode of Attack

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Plate the First half an inch to a foot,

The incompressible part of this vessel in which the men are when she descends under water, is composed of cast brass cylenders 6 feet diameter and 6 feet long about one inch thick; which will be of a strength to resist the pressure of more than one hundred perpendicular feet of water; Three or more of such cylenders may be screwed together at the flanges to make a length of 18 or 24 feet; the ends forming a part of a sphere to resist the pressure of the water in all directions; The dome where the Men enter may be three feet diameter three feet high; with a smaller dome on the lid through which observations may be made when raised a foot above the water:

The cylender and dome is placed in the body of an ordinary shaped vessel; and the water chambers for sinking will be round the cylender as seen in plate the second;

In this place it will only be necessary to mention the different parts which compose a submarine Vessel, any person acquainted with mechanics can trace their movements and uses,

A The bow anchor,

B The plunging flyers communicating by two angle wheels to the insides;

C The bow cable, its windlass Slides backwards and forwards on a square axis and lays the cable in regular coils;

D A small safety pump to drive the water out of the balancing chest G; suppose this pump one inch diameter, a column of water one inch diameter and 300 feet high would weigh about 150 pounds; hence one Man with a lever of three to one; could work such a pump under a pressure of 300 feet and rendering the Vessel lighter than her volume of water, could mount from that or even a greater depth to the surface;

E and F a pipe and cock to let the water into the balancing chest G;

G The balancing chest of a capacity to receive from three to five hundred weight of water, when the outer chambers are full, the Vessel being still from three to five hundred pounds lighter than water; Water is then let into the balancing chest correctly to such a weight that the flyers or plunging anchor can hold her under water;

H A air pipe to let out the Mephitic air; there is a similar one which extends to the stern, and enters a Ventilator Q by which means the air may be renewed in the Vessel;

I A movement to work the rudder while under water; on going to plunge the man who steers must take the helm off, this should always be his first act least he should forget it,

K The windlass of the plunging anchor sliding like that at the bow;

J The crank of the stern flyers; of the pumps, and of the plunging anchor; all these movements to be performed at pleasure by sliding the little wheels N and O in & our of gear;

P A screw movement to hoist the stern flyers out of gear; and out of water when the vessel is under sail,

M The pumps to force the water out at the pipe R.

The mast descends the sail boom and mast are tied together and made fast to the deck before the operation of plunging commences.

Plate the Second one inch to a foot,

This exhibits a transeverse section A the Valve to let in the the water which rises up to the deck B.B from which to the upper deck all round the Vessel are chambers to hold submarine bombs; which are placed in the chambers through trap doors on deck; and which bombs being the weight of water will in plunging displace their volume of water; and not add to or deminish the weight of the Vessel; this is the best mode of arranging the bombs for were they inside they would be embarrassing and each one when taken out would require to be replaced with its weight of water—

PLATE THE FIFTH

PLATE THE SIXTH

F The pipe to give air,

G The pipe to discharge the Mephitic air,

H.H Two air pipes to let the air out of the water chambers; they mount to the highest part of the Vessel to let the air in when the water is discharging; there should be at least four of these pipes; two in the bow and two in the stern; they may be lead from the stem along side and unite at I.I there the two mounting pipes H.H will be suffecient, care must be taken that the air can pass off with ease from all parts of the water chambers, or they cannot fill, nor can the vessel be got under water,

C The balancing chamber.

D The safety pump

E The discharging pipe

J Is a valve to let the water go from the centre chamber to the two ends, but not return, by this means water may be drawn from either end to balance the Vessel horizontal there are four such Valves,

All the communications with the exterior have cocks as will be seen in plate the third,

Plate the Third one inch to a foot,

Figure the first shews a section of the double forcing pumps A and B too cocks to draw the water from the right and left water chambers.

Figure the second a side View of the pumps A the pump B the valve which lets the water pass into the body of the pump C the valve which discharges the water by the cock and pipe D by shutting all the cocks and screwing off the top plates which cover the Valves they may be cleaned and put in order though the vessel were under water, Near the pump the plunging anchor F has a cock to stop the water in case the cable should break. E is a screw on which the anchor cap rests while the anchor is up and thus its weight is taken off the cable,

Figures the 3d and 4 represent a side and end view of the Cable windlass and the mode of sliding on its axis,

Figure the 5th Shews the whole communications of the pump tubes the great water chamber being divided into three parts, it is necessary to drive water out from the middle or either end at pleasure A A the pump seats, B.B.B.B the four valve chambers, C the discharging tube through the bottom, D a tube to draw water from the Balancing chest E.E to draw water from the right and left middle chambers only one of these are necessary as the water communicates by the Kelson to both sides

F To draw water from the bow chambers,

G To draw water from the stern chambers,

H The seat of the plunging Anchor,

Plate the 4th

Figure the first drawn by a scale of one quarter of an inch to a foot, Shews the incompressible part laid down in the body of a boat, A and B the divisions which form the length of the vessel into three water chambers, with the valve to let the water from the middle chamber to the two ends; but not return; C is a passage for the water from one side to the other. The other figures are of the real size, shewing the modes of constructing the air pipes with cork valves to let in the air and keep out the water;

Plate the 5th real Size

Figure the first shews the mode of placing the conic glass windows with the stop cocks in case of accidents; Figure the second the lid and cap of the dome; A head taking an observation through a window; this mode of making a window conic renders it as strong as the surrounding brass, as relates to the pressure of the water, a stroke only can break them; Figure the third is a Bathomater, to shew the depth under water.

Plate the 6

This is an addition to the dome more curious than useful; it is a mode of sending up a note and bringing down an answer while the Vessel is under water, Figure the first A is a cock with the cavity B in which there is a small reel; C the handle of which runs to D.... E is a piece of Cork, the note is to be written on a piece of parchment, tied round the cork or put into it, the cock is them turned by the handle F to face the opening G; the reel is then turned off and the cork mounts to the surface attached to a small silk line, when the answer is fixed to the cork the man below wind it down into the cock which being turned towards the inside of the Vessel the answer may be taken out.

PLATE THE SEVENTH

Figure the second is an end View.

Figure the Third shews a man operating & the cork mounting, this may be useful in making experiments;

Plate the Seventh one quarter of an inch to a foot

This shews the submarine vessel under sail and at anchor under water with her plunging anchor out,

These seven drawings with this discription will enable any able mechanician to construct and perform the experiments of a submarine Vessel; It is not intended that she should go under or near the vessels which are to be attacked, her use is to enable the weaker maritime nations to attack the stronger without being detected or interrupted in their operations, hence She is contrived to hide under water when pursued, where she may continue the whole day and approach the fleets and harbours of the enemy in the night, there anchor her cargo of submarine bombs under water, or leave them to the tide, or use them in any other way which time and practice may point out; and retire unperceived for another cargo and deposit them in like manner on the coast, in the mouths of rivers in harbours or among fleets at anchor, and thus place Such numbers as would render it impossible for any Vessel to move through them without the imminent danger of being blown up and totally annihilated;