A SUBMARINE LIFT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 33, 8 August 1934, Page 4

A SUBMARINE LIFT

ITALIAN SAFETY DEVICE

Tho Italian Navy has just made somo successful trials of an invention for saving the occupants of a submarine which has been sunk and is unablo to rise from tho sea bed. The inventor is Signor Eossini, and tho apparatus has been constructed by Signor Gerolami, of the Monfaleono Shipyard, says the Milan correspondent of tho London '>' Times."

It is styled a "submarine lift," and consists of a strong steel cylinder or shell housed in-a hatchway, fitted with watertight doors, leading down into the submarino. The cylindor has room for one person, can bo hermetically scaled from the inside and outside, and is vory buoyant. To escape from tho submarino a man enters and closes tho cylindor. . Next tho compartment is isolated from tho interior of tho submarino by tho closing of a watertight door, and then tho hatch is opened, thus flooding tho compartment containing the cylinder. The cylinder, which is socurodby a steel cable attached to a winch inside tho submarine, rises to the surface as tho cablo is'paid out. The man inside tho cylinder does not feol the differ: enees in pressure as it rises, and has sufficient air for: about ono hour, although the journey to the surface should not take more than a minute or so. The cylinder is fitted with a glass window, and as soon as its occupant sees lie is at the surface ho can open, the cylinder This can then be closod again and withdrawn by means of the cable into the compartment, from which it expels most of the water which has entered. The compartment is then isolated from tho sea, the small quantity of water remaining in it is discharged into the bilge of tho submarine, and then the operation can; bo repeated. . i This new rescue system edn also bo used for sending down iuen or supplies to a sunken submarine. While operation of releasing tho cylinder, sending it to the surface, and winding it down again necessitates the presence of at least one man in the submarine, it is stated that the inventor has introduced a special - automatic device which allows tho last man in the submarine to reach the surface as easily as tho others. Tho tests were made in the cruising submarine Anfitrite. Fitted with tho apparatus, this vessel was immersed in deep water till she rosted on tho soa bed, and was ablo to send to the surface successively sevonty-eigbt men, an j average of eight minutes being employ- i ed for each. Five men were also able ' to enter the submarine from the surfaco in this way.

It is added that during tho oxperi-[ ■ments the vessel was manoeuvred into | a position loiist favourable to tho functioning of tho apparatus, which, how ever, worked equally well. No precise indication is given a_s to the depths and pressures at which, it is expected that tho now system can be worked.