A DIVING LIFEBOAT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 6

A DIVING LIFEBOAT.

SATURDAY'S TRIAL ' AFLOAT IN. A REVOLVING TANK. A glance, at Mr. Harry FJeher's "tip-catf*. shaped lifeboat, reminds one of those pictures of the wonderful submarine ship in Jules, Vorho's story, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," which many "grown-ups" will remember having enthralled thorn a scoro of years ago. It is.a cylindrical stcol arrangement not unliko a fat oigar siwjponod at both ends, tho solo protuberances from its armoured hull being four bolted-on boards from which it is proposed life-lines will be so*; ponded. . ' . ' . Tiioro was a good .deal of interest in tits first trial of tho new craft, which took plnoo from the Tutanokai (ly«ig at the Railway Wharf) on Saturday morning. Tho cylindrical tank had been rigged on a steel girder, and rested on tie after hatchway. Through a man-hole in tho top clambered those Who wero to "hako risks" tho first timo the craft had touchod water.' These woro Mrs. and Master Fisher (wife and son.of t)be inventor), Mrs.''P. H. BraaegTOvo, Mr. J. W. Davis (managing partner in tlhe invention), and Mr. Higgins. The party having seated themselves in tie "haunted swing" (for tfbat is tho principle of the ratier cradle), the stool door wa6 ckmpod down tight from within, and tho queer oraft waß hoisted up, oho end of the suspending girder was tilted, and tho boat dived over tho side into tho harbour. Unfortunately tho girder had not been rigged far enough over tho water, as, in running off, the 'middliips of tho steal boat struck tho bulwarks, carrying a section away, and splitting -tho bulwarks plank for some distanco. This obstruction prevented the boot descending to tho water at a gontle nngk, aa in-, tended. Instead of that (and to the alarm of many for those within) it shot into tho water perpendicularly. Many expected to see it disappear from view into tho bluo, hut it proved to bo too buoyant for that. H> jo* clove the water until about half hidden and then regained its horizontal, floating Kgbt as a cork besido tho steamer. v Theanxioty of tho spectators for_ those witfiin was somewhat relieved at seeing a :lihtkV rod',flag fluttering from the boat's rotund deck. Die man-hole was at once opened, when it was found that the accident, whi<Ji upended the boat into a vertical positionhad given all within a bit of a scare (for or course they did nr-t know what had happened outsido), It sho; !d ho mentioned that *fto inmates wero scaled on two parallel feats facing each other in- the cracßo that is swung, on pivots, but no provision is. mod© for tlhe boat standing on end. As a consequence, they were all thrown to ono end of ttio boat, One of the ladies struck her head: on, a piece of tho steel work, and the two men received: a few small cuts about the hands and face,, 'nono of them serious. They seemed all much, relieved to regain tho dock of tho Tutanokai once more, •':■. • ' •■'■•:■

Mr. .'Fisher states that "his boat did all ho claimed for it. Save one of tho man-boards boing smashed, the accident showed that tho boat could stand knocking about, its bnoyancy was undisputed, and tho oradlo'swung square, though tho outer hull rolled round a little after it reached tho water. ;

During the trial the interior of tho boat was lit by two electric supplied from a storago battery, within. - The passengers stated that it was rather stuffy within until tho boat reached the water, when the air icooled perceptibly. Points for Consideration. Although principles may have been, proved in Saturday's trial it is hard to imagine such a craft being eificaciaus in a storm at sea. Supposing it were shot out off a wrecked or sinking vossol in such seas as usually cause'.such accidents one can easily imagine it, to be a yory difficult matter to get insido with a hull built in a manner that rather encourages, rolling, supposing there are one.or more of:the:manholes (which can' only be opened from, tho inside). On the other hand, assuming there was a .competent, person;within .whoii the' boat, wan launched,' he would mover' dare to open a manhole in" a seaway/owipg to the probability, of the outer hull rolling round and bo admitting an. inrush of water. Indeed,! from Saturday's experience, it would appear that it would be only safe to .open a manhole in perfectly calm water, such as one seldom gets at sea. .. . Of cpurso, Mr. Fisher's boat could not. sink under ordinary circumstances, because of tno air-tight cylinders at each end. - Neither does the ordinary lifeboat for - that matter, but tho same rocks that would smash an ordinary lifeboat would bo quit© capable of piercing the' steel casing of tho sir-tight compartments of Mr. Fisher's boat. ,•■»■■■■■ Then, again, methods of propulsion would have to be devised to suit tho craft. It could not be propelled with oars, owing to the aptitude of tho hull to roll, and tiio pro. blem of propulsion by motor appears difficult} owing to tho impossibility of getting a rigid bod for the cradle, which though horizontal, in tho main would never bo without movement while the hull was rolling. The outer boards (with lifelines) are all very well, but the hull would have to bo equal on both Bides to prevent the boat rolling over. If half b dozen men clung to on© side and a dozen to, the other, the unequal pull most cause the boat to revolve, likowiso the weight in the interior cradle must be nicely adjusted to preserve tho vortical position. : A Lively Experience. A Dominion reporter, anxious to see things from within, consented to bo shut up in the boat during such, time as sho was being towed round from the Tutanekai to the Glasgow Wharf. Ho got all tho scutmtion ho wanted. The experience of being afloat in an iron.tankj not. knowing what was going on outside, was eerie to the last dogreo, and "as the roof began to revolvo.thb sensation was quickened into that sort of feeling a young girr experiences inakatzenjammcr castle. .

What was more alarming, however, was th'o fact that no sooner had tho hull revolved onco than all insido —there woro four— plainly heard an inrush of wator.' What was to be dono? To bo quito honest, all wero scared. Even the "Man who Knew" looked a little anxious, and ho rapped hard at the steel-walled pen to attract the attention of those in the whaleboat that was towing the tank. No answer, and the water still rushing in! The man with tho spanner cheered Us by saying that ho had evidently forgot-; ten to closo up anaporturo that was in tho ceiling when we startod, and was now somowhore near where the keel.should bo. The writer was beginning to worry as to how his paper would get tho best description of the impending tragedy, when ,"Ha who Knew", imparted the glad news that tho boat could not sink—could not moro thnn half fill, owing to tho air-light compartments, and as tliero are always air-holes above tho water, there was every hope of salvation. Welcome indeed were the voices outside that, shouted the news that wo had arrived, and to look out, as they wore going to "roll her over" until the manhole was on top. . _,-■'■ Out wo clambered into the winter sunshine, elated at the opportunity piven of lending better lives, and chastivircd in spirit b.v tho purelo of that inflow of water, The "Man of Understanding" was quito right. He had left tho aporturo open, for when the craft, was hoisted up by tho crane tho water made its exit hv the same means by wln'cl" it had previously mado so. alarming'an civ trance. ,■ , ■ ,-.