HOW TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC IN TWENTY-SIX HOURS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2002, 1 February 1890, Page 3

HOW TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC IN TWENTY-SIX HOURS.

Leonide 1 A pofctoloff, a young Cossack engineer, whose name is hardly known outside his own country, claims to have made a discovery and patented an invention destined to change the iace of the maritime world. Wild as his claim may sound, for he asserts that his invention will enable us to cross the Atlantic in 2G hours, there is enough substance in his dream to have secured him three years’ leave of absence by the Russian Government in order that he may prosecute his scientific researches. M, Apostoloff: elected to study at Marseilles. There a representative of the Pall Mall Gazette called upon him. M. Apostoloff io tall and dark; his face bespeaks energy and great determination, He is eight-and-twenty. ‘ls it true,” asked our representative,.“,that you expect to perform the voyage: from here to Algiers in four hoprs? ” Certainly,” replied M. Apestdloff. “My boat will travel 100 knots an hour—that is to say, five times quicker than the fastest steamer, I have applied to navigation the spiral principal, that is all.”

“ But what is the spiral principle ? ” —“ It is somewhat difficult to put into words. You know that it takes you longer to hammer a nail into the wall than to screw it in. Again, in old days the ball from a gun went straight at 1 its object and bit perhaps at 100yds. Now the ball is twisted out, and goes immensely quicker and much further. Still another illustration. Why does a man swim ? Because he agitates his arms and legs, you reply. Very good. But why dees a serpent swim?” and M. Apostoloff smiled triumphantly. “You do not know? Perhaps you did not even know that he who tempted our first mother swam at all. Yet a serpent once in the water goes quicker along than the fastest fish. They swim on the spiral principle, and get along at a prodigious rate in consequence. I apply this principle to my boat, that is all,”

What suggested this idea to you ? ” “ When I was quite a young fellow my regiment was ordered to Samara, ■ where a bridge was being built over the river. The district is singularly bereft of stones, and as they were 1 a&mlutely necessary in making the 1 of the bridge, moujiks evicted them from the bed of the ’ current itself. And how ? By means 1 of an ingenious invention of their own. A rope was coiled several times 1 round a large tree trunk. One end of t® rope had been fast, to the other dangled an iron claw named Jcoschka, which signifies little cat’s claw. At a touch from the hand the beam turned round in the water, the rope, unwinding itself with the rapidity of lightning, descended, and the claw clutched bold of anything it found in the bed of the river, and at a reverse touch the beam brought it up to the surface. Sometimes very large stones were brought up in this manner. This struck me greatly. How intelligent of these poor peasants to have discovered the spiral principle for themselves ! Simply dropping the rope into the water would not have been of any good. If you doubt this, try it for yourself with a pencil and bit of thread.” “ Then I suppose you began trying experiments?”—-Just so. I tried many experiments, wishing also to discover some new motor to drive my boat along. But the great principle of the thing lay in the spiral idea.” “ But how can you apply the pencil and thread plan to a boat P”—“ Thus. My boat to look at is not unlike a long, rather pointed, egg in shape, an egg round which has been twice twisted a piece of string. It will (mmvolve rapidly ; in fact, the difference the speed of my boat and the modern steamer will be—to quote myself again—the difference between a blunt nail driven into the wall and a nail screwed in. You are wondering where the passengers will go? Well, inside, for this egg-shaped form is only an outside shell. Inside, fastened securely to the beam running through it, is an inner shell, cabin, &c., which remains absolutely steady, as if on land. You will note that the rudder' is both perpendicular and horizontal, fihis enables the steerer to direct the boat up or down under the water, a thing the usual torpedo boat cannot do, This is roughly speaking a torpedo boat —half in and half out of the water. My Bateau Flongeur will remain habitually under water.” “Of what material will your Flongeur be made?” “Of the strongest steel, to enable it to resist the great pressure of the water above it. On the other hand the boat will ygwsery light, so light indeed that in case of any injury to the machinery, &c., there will be no danger, for it will 0 £ itself rise to the surface of the water.’ “ How will the inhabitants of your little craft breathe ? ” —“ Every 38 hours it must come up for a long, deep breath,” answered M. Apostoloff, smiling* “ Practically, the only danger

we have to fear is the outer shell, or corps tournant, getting smashed, either by running on to a rock or encountering a whale, cHill, a powerful electric light will shine through the belt of thick glass running round the boat, and will illuminate the water depths above, below, and for 100yds all around ua.”

“And -will the Plohgeur always remain under water ? ” —“No, not necessarily so ; but if it is half out of the water the speed of the corps tournant will be reduced by nearly half, the boat will proceed at a rate of 80 knots an hour, instead of scuttling along at 120 knots an hour.” “Your invention will be chiefly useful for the purposes of maritime warfare P I wish more to utilise my discovery for the purpose of commerce, but of course as a torpedo boat it will be irresistible.”

“ Have you ever actually tried it yourself in water ? ” —“ Yes. Seme time ago in Russia, on the Volga. I was not rich, so I built my boat of tin—rather a foolhardy proceeding. A steamer containing a party of my friends started to race me. In a few minutes I had rushed far beyond it, and in fact disappeared entirely from their sight. . ‘ Alas! ” cried they, * peer Apostoloff has gone to the bottom.’ But after some time they came up to me. I was resting comfortably on the bank. Great, as you may .suppose, was their joy and relief, • But the extreme rapidity with which my boat had gone caused the tin of which it was composed to smash up.” “And when will you have your craft in working order ?” “By January. It will be 28 metres long and about 3| metres, through in the thickest part. There will be room for 25 persons. My first yoyage will be to Toulon and back in 50 minutes; my next trip will be an attempt to go to Algiers and back in eight hours, I now have over 50 applications from people anxious to go the trial trip.” “Now, M. Apostoloff, we come to what is of course an important item. Where does your motive force come from F ” —“ Ah, that is -my secret. I have discovered a new electric motor, which cannot, unluckily, be patented; that is why lam keeping it to myself as long as I can. Soon it will become common property, but no one can steal from me my corps tournant he added cheerfully,. “ and without that they can never hope to attain onethird of my speed.”

“ And what will be the relative cost of your Bateau Plongenr in comparison to the ordinary torpedo boat P”— “Eorty per cent, cheaper, as fai as the cost of construction is concerned, and 91 per cent, cheaper in actual working expense. Thus the 100 f worth of coal which goes to supply the torpedo boat will be replaced by 6f worth of my hew motive force! In fact there will be practically no working expenses after the first installation.”

“ You can at least tell me one thing about your new motive power. Will it_ also supply the light Yes, it will,”

“ Have you ever thought of seriously adapting yeur Bateau Plongeur to passenger traffic ?” Think what it will be for a man of business to get to New York in 26 hours. Those who do not like the idea of being inside the shell will have to have a kind of platform attached to the extremities of two of my Bateaux Plongeurs.” “And do you propose to seU the patent to any country ? “ Certainly not; or, rather, if I did I should, of course, keep it for Russia, my own country.”—Otago Daily Times.