ENORMOUS PRESSURE.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1036, 22 May 1902, Page 3

ENORMOUS PRESSURE.

A curious example of the enormous pi easuwi of water is furnished by what was once a diving* bell, designed to be used iu Luke Michigan, but now a shapeless mass of metal. It was a hollow cube of about 6ft., constructed of plates of phosphor bronze 5-Biu. thick. The windawa through which the divers could look were 3io, square and wero strengthened with iron bars, while the window-panes were made of glass plates au inch iu thickness. Tho whole weight of the bell was rather morn than tan tons. When it was finished it was sent to Milwaukee and then towed about, twelve miles into Ihe lake, where there is a depth of something 1 Ire 200 ft. of water. Then it was lowered, will strong timbers attached to it, in eider to Cat its strength. After it had reached the boltoiu, [ it was noticed that the timbers crime up iu spliuters, and when the bell was pull d up it. was crushed out of all recognition of its former shape, while the windows, in spilv of ti eir strength, were simply pulverised. It has bw n calculated that at the depth to which the In li descended the pressure was just 871b. to the square inch, which would give a tola] pressure of 353,9241b. on each side of the bell, aid. would give a resulting pressure of over 1,36J tons on the cube.