[PSUBS-MAILIST] Ambient vs. 1 ATM: the historical perspective

[Michael B Holt <michaelbholt@juno.com>]

There's an ongoing argument, all of it friendly, about the merits of
both.
Both have their place and their application.

In Campbell's book about the Hunley, he reveals that the ballast tanks
were open at the top.   The boat was at the same pressure as the
outside.

Morris' book about John Holland reveals that Holland's first boat
had tanks fore and aft to reduce buouyancy to a minimum (the
boat would be a bit positive and drive itself down under power);
to achieve negative buouyancy the pilot's compartmet would be
flooded to some extent. 

Apparently, Simon Lake's Argonaut Jr was also an ambient boat.

I've been talking with a chap at the State Museum of Lousiana: they
have a submarine from the Civil War, and they can't identify it.   He
told
me that the ballast tanks are open at the top.   

It would appear that Markham's little boat was the 1960s version
of a very old idea.

I wodner if perhaps the 1-ATM crowd might reconsider the ambient
idea, for shallow-water diving?   If we're not ging deeper than 20
feet or so, do we need a steel hull?


Mike Holt
-- 

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