THE CAREER OF THE " FISH BOAT." 753 



rod of iron passing through water-tight fittings in her sides, 



and provided with a crank inside, so that the fins could be 



worked in any direction, or at any angle, forcing the craft to 



the surface, or below, or forward or backward. By working 



them also in opposite directions the vessel could be turned a> 



a row-boat is by palling with one oar and backing water with 



the other. At the stern, midway between the top and bottom, 



she was provided with a propeller, worked by a shaft, fitted 



water-tight, and propelled by hand-power inside the hold. Ou 



her deck were two round hatches, or man holes, about, ten feet 



apart, and fitted with plates of such thick glass as is used hi 



side-walks, for cellar lights, set in iron frames, working upon 



hinges, fastened on the inside, and fitting water-tight when 



closed. Between these hatches were two flexible air pipes, 



with air-tight valves, so that when within a foot of the surface, 



by opening the valves, fresh air could be drawn into the hold 



The crew depended upon the violent action of their hats, whep 



the valves were open, for making a current sufficient to dis 



place the foul air, and bring in a supply of fresh. 



When the boat was finished, in the first experiment made 



with her, she carried a crew of eight men, and a shifting ballast 



of iron plates. She moved from the wharf, passed down the 



r.ver, just showing the tops of the hatches, dove under a ship 



lfing in the stream, rose on the other side, and returned to the 



wharf. This was done successfully a second time, when the 



chief of the crew left her for some purpose, and the rest of the 



men, though unaccustomed to the work, undertook to perform 



the experiment alone. She ify ved out, dove down, but never 



came up. About a fortnight afterward she was found, raised, 



the dead removed, and the whole inside disinfected / cleaned and 



painted white. On the second trial she filled just as the crew 



had manned her, and sunk. The captain and one other saved 



themselves, but the rest of the crew, consisting of five, were 



drowned in her. Another crew volunteered to man her, and 

 48 



