John Day
John Day (* unknown, † June 22, 1774 ) is the first recorded death from an accident with a submarine . Day was an English wagner and, with the financial support of Christopher Blake, an English gambler , built a self-constructed submersible without propulsion. To this end, he converted a sloop with 50 tons of water displacement through a superstructure with a wooden structure. 10 tons of ballast were firmly attached to the sloop and then two more 10 tons, which could be dropped. After the boat was locked, helpers were supposed to load another 20 tons of ballast onto the boat.
Day bet with Blake that he with his boat to a depth of 100 feet (about 30.5 meters could dive) and could remain there for 12 hours in his boat up to the appearance.
On June 22, 1774, the boat was launched off Plymouth . Day went on board with a candle , water, and cookies. The boat was equipped with a hammock for the passenger. After the boat was locked, the weights were loaded and the boat sank forever. Day was completely wrong in calculating the trim . This incident was the first recorded fatal accident involving a submersible.
literature
- Jeffrey Tall: Submarines and Deep Sea Vehicles. The first submersibles, diesel-electric submarines, nuclear submarines, deep sea exploration, salvage and rescue. Kaiser, Klagenfurt 2002, ISBN 3-7043-9016-X .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Day, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 17th century or 18th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 22, 1774 |