Sub Marine Explorer
8.2815833333333 - 78.845888888889Koordinaten: 8 ° 16 ' 53.7 "N, 78 ° 50' 45.2 " W
The Sub Marine Explorer was built in 1865 by the German - American Julius Kröhl submarine. Since it was the first boat that showed up on their own again, it is considered the first viable submarine in the world. The only in 2001 identified wreck lies today at the beach an island off Panama. Due to the strong corrosion of the recovery or restoration is not possible.
Technology
The U- boat was about 11 feet long, 30 tons and was powered by muscle power. In contrast to other models of its time, the boat had a modern streamlined hull and was very stable due to its massive keel made of wrought iron in the water. The submarine had a system of ballast chambers for diving and compressed air tanks for the appearance. In addition, a pressure compensation was made possible, were possible work on the ground by the by the three hatches in the bottom of the ship. Breathing air was present for four hours. It could be submerged up to 40 meters.
The vehicle had an advanced diving mechanism, which is still used today in the principle of modern submarines. On each side three valves made of brass were placed in the ground, which could be operated from inside. Opened this one, got sea water in the outer plunger body of the double hull. Was the desired depth is reached, closed to the valves. If you wanted to show up, the air was let out of a compressed air chamber in the plunger body. This air was compressed by a small steam engine into the sealed air chamber before the dive.
History
1863 offered the emigration to America Julius Kröhl its draft 12 -meter-long submarine of the Northern states to the military. However, the Navy had no interest in his invention because they now had the upper hand at sea with the USS Alligator ( this was shortly before their first use in a storm under ) already owned a submarine.
Only an offer in 1864 by William Henry Tiffany, the brother of the founder of Tiffany, Kröhl enabled the construction of the boat. Tiffany was a major shareholder of the Pacific Pearl Company, a company that wanted to look for pearls in the Pacific and this needed a suitable diving apparatus. This was the economic salvation for Kröhl, because until then the material costs amounted to $ 17,000, about $ 300,000 in today's dollars (2010). The boat was assembled in a dock in Brooklyn in 1865 and finally completed. In camera trial runs in the East River were carried out. On 30 May 1866, boat was officially launched. Before the astonished eyes of the invited guests, the boat sank to the bottom of the river and dipped after 90 minutes on their own again. That was before nor any other submarine succeeded. The next day, the New York Times reported on the successful demonstration.
In September 1866 the boat from New York was moved to the Pacific coast of Panama, after it was dismantled for this transport into its component parts. In December, the parts arrived in Panama City and were assembled there again. After the boat was mainly used in the pearl fishing. In September 1867 died Kröhl and the team unexpectedly. The cause of death was malaria specified, but can be assumed today that the crew died as a result of his time still unknown decompression sickness. The successor crew met the same fate. According to the New York Times, two years later carried out by boat several successful dives, where several tons of oysters were harvested. Following a period of eleven consecutive days but died again all members of the crew.
The wreck today
The boat was eventually abandoned and left behind by the diseased crew. The wreck is still ungeborgen on the beach of the island of San Telmo in the Gulf of Panama to the south of Panama City. Only in 2001 the wreck was discovered by underwater archaeologists James Delgado and identified after it had held until then for a wreck of a small Japanese submarine from the Second World War locals.
According to the studies on the U- boat plans were made to rescue it and return it to the United States. However, an analysis of the hull brought the result that the damage is too large due to corrosion due to the long time spent in salt water. The iron of the hull has been completely transformed into rust. The boat is irretrievably lost - a salvage or restoration is no longer possible. However, the findings from the study of the original can allow later reconstruction.