DIVING LIFEBOAT

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2538, 26 June 1909, Page 2

DIVING LIFEBOAT

AFLOAT IN A REVOLVING TANK. (From the “Dominion.”) A glance, at Mr Harry Fisher’s 'Hipcat’ '-shaped. lifeboat reminds one of those pictures of the wonderful submarine ship in Jules Verne’s story, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” which many /‘grown-ups” will remember having enthralled them . a score of years ago. It is a cylindrical steel arrangement not unlike a fat cigar sharpened at both ends, the. sole protuberances from its armored bull being'four bolted-on boards from which it is proposed life-lines will be suspended. There.' was a good deal of interest in the first trial of the new craft, which took place from-the Tutanekai (lying at the Railway Wharf) on Saturday morning last. The cylindrical tank had been rigged on a steel girder and rested on the after hatchway. Through a man-hole in the top clambered those who were to ‘‘take risks” the first time the craft- had touched water. These were Mrs and Master Fisher (wife and son of the inventor), Mrs T. H. Bransgrove, Mr J. W. Davis (managing partner in tho invention), and Mr Higgins. The party having seated themselves in the “haunted swing” (for that is the principle of tho inner cradle), the steel door was clamped down tight from within, and the queer craft was hoisted up, one end of the suspending girder was tilted, and the boat dived over, the side into the harbor. Unfortunately the girder had not. been rigged far enough over tho water, as, in running. off, the ’midships of the steel boat struck the bulwarks plank for some distance. This obstruction prevented the boat descending to the water at a gentle angle, as intended. Instead of that (and to the alarm of many of those within) it shot into the water perpendicularly. . Many expected to see it disappear from view into the blue, but it proved to be too buoyant for that. It just clove, the water until about half hidden and then regained its horizontal, floating light as a cork beside the steamer. Tho anxiety of the spectators. for those within was somewhat relieved at seeing a little red flag fluttering from the boat’s rotund deck. The man-hole was at once opened, when it was found that the accident, which upended the boat into a vortical position, had given all within a bit of a scare (for of course they did not know what had happened outside). It should be mentioned that the inmates were seated on two parallel seats facing each other in the cradle that is swung on pivots, but no provision is made for the boat standing on end. As a consequence, they were all thrown to one end of tho boat. One of the ladies struck her head on a piece of the steel .work, and the two men received a few small cuts about tho hands and face, none- of them serious. They seemed all much relieved to regain the deck of the Tutanekai once more.

Mr Fisher states that his boat dnl all he claimed for it. 'Save one of the inan-boards being smashed, the accident showed that the boat could stand knocking about, its buoyancy was undisputed, and the cradle swung square, though the outer hull rolled round a little after it reached the water. / During the trial the interior of the boat was'Jit by two electric bulbs, supplied from a" storage 'battery -within. The. passengers stated that- it was rather stuffy within until the boat reached the water, when the air cooled perceptibly.

/ POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION. Although principles may have been proved in Saturday’s trial it is hard to imagine .such a craft being efficacious in a storm at sea. Supposing it were shot out off a wrecked or sinking vessel in such seas as usually cause ■such accidents one can' easily imagine it to be a very difficult matter to get inside 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 when the boat was launched, ho would never dare to open a manhole in a headway, owing to the probability of the outer hull rolling round and so 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 course, Mr Fisher’s boat could not sink under ordinary circumstances, because of the air-tight cylinders at each end. Neither does the ouhnary lifeboat for that matter, hut the same rocks that would smash .an ordinary lifeboat would be quite capable of -piercing the steel casing of the air-tight compartments of Mr Fishers boat. Then again, methods of propulsion would have to bo devised to suit the craft.. It could not be propelled with oars, owing to tho aptitude of the hull to roll, .and the problem of propulsion by motor appears difficult, owing to the impossibility of getting a rigid bed for the- cradle.* which though 'horizontal. in the main would never .be without movement while tho hull was rolling. The outer hoards (with life lines) are all very well, but the hull would have to be equal on both sides to prevent the boat rolling over. If half a dozen men clung to one side and a dozen to the other, the unequal pul! must cause the boat- to revolve, likewise the weight in the interior cradle must he nicely adjusted to preserve the vertical position. A' LIVELY EXPERIENCE,

A “Dominion” reporter, anxious to Bee tilings from within, consented to he shut up in the boat during such time as she was being towed round from the Tutanokai to the Glasgow Wharf., He got all the sensation lie wanted. The experience of being afloat in an. iron tank, not knowing what was going on outside, was eerie to the last degree, and as the roof began to revolve the sensation was quickened into that sort of feeling a young girl experiences in a katzonjammer castle.' What was more alarming, however, was the fact that no sooner had the hull revolved once than all inside—there were four —plainly heard an in-

rush of water. What was to be done P To ha quite honest, all- were-. scared. Even the “Man who Knew ooked a little anxious, and he rapped hard at tho 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 ! Tho man with the spanner cheered us by saying that he had evidently forgotten .to close up an aperture that was in the ceiling when lie started, and was now soniewhoro near where the keel shou.d be. , . . , ■■- The writer was beginning to worry as to how his paper would get the best description of the impending tiagedj, when “Ho ,who Knew” imparted the glad news that the boat could not sink —could not more than half , fill, owing' to the air-tight compartments, and as there are always air-holes above the water, there was every hope of salvation. Welcome indeed were tho voices outside that shouted the news that wo had arrived, and to look out, as they were going to “roll her over until the manhole was on top. Out we clambered into the winter sunshine, elated at tho opportunity given of leading better lives, and chastened in spirit bv the gurgle of that inflow of water. The “Man of Understanding” was quite right. He. had left the aperture open, for when the craft was hoisted up bv the crane tho water made- its exit by the same means by which it had previously made so alarming an entrance.