Intelligent Whale facts for kids
Intelligent Whale at the Navy Museum, Washington Navy Yard
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name | Intelligent Whale |
| Laid down | 1863 |
| Acquired | 29 October 1869 |
| Out of service | 1873 |
| Status | Museum exhibit |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) |
| Length | 28 ft 8 in (8.74 m) |
| Beam | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion | Hand-cranked screw |
| Speed | 4 knots (4.6 mph; 7.4 km/h) |
| Endurance | 10 hours |
| Complement | 6 to 13 officers and men |
| Armament | Hatch for diver |
.jpg)
The Intelligent Whale was an experimental submarine built in the 1860s. It was designed to be powered by hand and was considered for use by the United States Navy.
Contents
History of the Intelligent Whale
Building and Early Ownership
The Intelligent Whale was designed by Scovel Sturgis Merriam. It was built in 1863 by Augustus Price and Cornelius Scranton Bushnell. In 1864, a company called the American Submarine Company was formed. This company took over the interests of the original builders. For several years, there were legal disagreements about who truly owned the submarine.
The submarine was finally finished and launched in 1866. After the ownership issues were settled in court, the Intelligent Whale was sold to the United States Navy Department on October 29, 1869. The agreement stated that most of the payment would be made after the submarine passed successful tests.
Testing the Submarine
The first known test of the Intelligent Whale happened in September 1872. This trial was not successful. Because of this, the Navy decided not to make any more payments and stopped the project.
The submarine was designed to go underwater by filling special compartments with water. To surface, it would pump the water out using pumps and compressed air. It was believed that the submarine could stay underwater for about ten hours. It could hold between 6 and 13 crew members, but only 6 were needed to operate it.
During the trial, a person named General Sweeney and two others tested the submarine. They submerged the boat in about 16 feet (4.9 meters) of water. General Sweeney, wearing a diver's suit, went out through a special opening in the bottom of the submarine. He placed an explosive charge under a small boat (called a scow). Then, he returned to the submarine. The charge was set off by a rope and a special starter, which caused the scow to sink.
Where is it Now?
After the failed test in 1872, the Intelligent Whale was put on display. It was first shown at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It stayed there until 1968. Then, it was moved to the Washington Navy Yard. Later, it was moved again to the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey in Sea Girt, New Jersey. You can see it on display there today.
The U.S. Navy did not officially accept a submarine for service until the USS Holland was commissioned in 1900.
See also
- Turtle (submersible)
- Nautilus (1800 submarine)
- CSS H.L. Hunley
- CSS David
- USS Alligator (1862)
- Plunger (1897)
- USS Holland (SS-1)
- Fenian Ram
