''Intelligent Whale'' is an experimental hand-cranked

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

developed for potential use by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in the 1860s.

History

''Intelligent Whale'' was built on the design of Scovel Sturgis Merriam in 1863 by Augustus Price and Cornelius Scranton Bushnell. In 1864 the American Submarine Company was formed, taking over the interests of Bushnell and Price and there followed years of litigation over the ownership of the craft. ''Intelligent Whale'' was completed and launched in 1866. When title was established by a court the submarine was sold on 29 October 1869 through a contract made by owner Oliver Halstead and Secretary of the Navy George M. Robeson to the United States Navy Department, with most of the price to be paid after successful trials. In September 1872 the first trial was held and was unsuccessful, whereupon the department refused further payments and abandoned the project. ''Intelligent Whale'' submerged by filling water compartments, and expelled the water by pumps and compressed air. It was estimated that it could stay submerged for about ten hours. Thirteen crewmen could be accommodated, but only six were needed to make her operational. The only known trial, reported by submarine pioneer

John Philip Holland John Philip Holland (; February 24, 1841August 12, 1914) was an Irish marine engineer who developed the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the US Navy, USS Holland (SS-1) and the first Royal Navy submarine, ''Holland 1''. Early lif ...

, was made by a certain General Sweeney and two others. They submerged the boat in of water and Sweeney, clad in a diver's suit, emerged through a hole in the bottom, placed a charge under a scow, and reentered the submarine. The charge was exploded by a lanyard and a friction primer attached to the charge, sinking the scow. Following the failed trial in 1872, ''Intelligent Whale'' was put on display at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a se ...

and remained there until 1968 when she was moved to the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

where she remained until being relocated to the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey in

Sea Girt, New Jersey Sea Girt is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,866, an increase of 38 (+2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 1,82 ...

, where she is currently on display. The U.S. Navy did not accept a submarine for service until the USS ''Holland'' was commissioned in 1900.

Sources

HNSA Web Page: USS Intelligent Whale

External links

Photos of the Intelligent Whale at the Militia Museum of New Jersey in Sea Girt, NJ {{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919) 19th-century submarines of the United States Abandoned military projects of the United States Museum ships in New Jersey Museums in Monmouth County, New Jersey Hand-cranked submarines 1866 ships

History

See also

Sources

External links