All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

8o All About Inventions whole of his life to the subject. Though he may have been deficient in technical knowledge, he was certainly possessed of a greater amount of common sense, and certainly knew more about the subject than the interfering officials who would persist in revising his drawings, introducing this and that accord- ing to fancy. To aggravate matters Holland, who was not particularly robust, fell ill, and was unable to devote so much attention as he would have liked to the realisation of his dream. When Holland saw the Plunger, as she was called, before she took to the water, he prophesied that she would prove a failure. He pointed out her weak points, and why this or that alteration in his design would prove unworkable. He even narrated that no one would ever be able to go under the water in her because the internal temperature would be beyond human endurance. As may be supposed, Holland’s criticisms were regarded with amusement by the so-called superior technicians; but, to the dismay of the latter, the Plunger, when submitted to her trials, failed for the very reasons which Holland had related. The submarine was a dismal failure, the responsibility for which Holland might very justly have placed upon the shoulders of the interfering Government officials. But his disgust was so pro- found that he decided to sever all connection with the Government, and adopted the most efficient means of consummating this end and of asserting his complete independence. On behalf of his company he returned the £19,000 which had been paid by the Government for the boat, and took it back, thereby closing all avenues for future altercation.