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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
	129k	The Argonaut Jr , was built by Simon Lake in 1894 of pitch pine, as inexpensive way to demonstrate his principles of submergence that would ultimately change the development of submarine technology. When submerged to a shallow seafloor, a diver's door could be opened and he could retrieve articles or exit & re-enter the little 14-foot submarine by maintaining a pressurized compartment. The Argonaut was named after the Argonaut sea creature, better known as the Portuguese man-o-war, because both could navigate on the surface, on the sea-floor, or anywhere in between. A novel feature of Simon Lake's early submarines was the use of wheels to keep the vessel from getting stuck to the bottom and to provide mobility by the use of interior hand cranks. The success of the demonstration amazed on-lookers at Atlantic Highlands NJ and inspired investors to support the establishment of The Lake Submarine Company in 1895 and to build a proper steel submarine vessel, the Argonaut I, by 1898.		Photos courtesy of Darryl Baker.
	144k	The Argonaut I was built in 1897 in Baltimore at the Columbian Iron Works & Dry Dock to the dimensions of 36 feet in length and 9 foot beam, and powered by a 30 horsepower gasoline engine. In 1898 with a crew of 4 men, Simon Lake set out on a 2000 mile journey in the Chesapeake Bay and on the Atlantic coast, traveling both on the surface and submerged, and over all kinds of bottom, putting the Argonaut I to the test. Like a true-to-life Captain Nemo, Simon Lake and crew retrieved fish, clams and oysters through the dive compartment in order to demonstrate the practicality of living and traveling underwater. The 5 brave Argonauts survived violent storms in which over 200 surface vessels were lost, by traveling through the peaceful waters below. By the close of 1898, Simon and his Argonaut I achieved worldwide acclaim which was further complimented by the famous telegram sent by Jules Verne congratulating Simon in bringing the submarine's dreams to reality. December 1898, Simon brought his little Argonaut I to New York to be enlarged and re-outfitted with a variety of improvements including greater buoyancy, deck space, fuel capacity, a 60 HP engine and living quarters for a crew of eight. A searchlight was added in the bow to light up the fore-coming pathway, and telephones were installed throughout, so that conversation could be conducted between the divers and their tenders, with crew members stationed at different parts of the boat, with the surface or with the shore.		Photo from The American Submarine, by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst. Photo added 03/18/08.
	214k	Reconstructed by July 1900, the Argonaut II , was 66 feet in length and capable of making a non-stop sea voyage of 3000 miles, and submerging for 48 hours. The new Argonaut II looked quite different than the original one with the new raised deck that made the vessel appear more like a surface boat than a submarine. Simon Lake promoted the new Argonaut II by taking groups of people on an unforgettable journey to the bottom the Long Island Sound. One day there was 22 guests, another day, 28, who remained submerged for 4 hours while the crew obtained fresh seafood through the diver's compartment, prepared it and served a fine seafood dinner. Even though Simon Lake knew how to party, the submarine was designed for commercial use and had no military hardware what-so-ever. Peaceful purposes seemed much more equitable to Simon than producing war machines. He preferred searching the northeast coastal areas for sunken wrecks, to salvage their cargoes and claim the riches. He located numerous wrecks with the Argonaut II , and acquired extensive records of lost ships and cargoes, including some treasure ships. He had developed a lucrative career, making him a wealthy young man. He repeatedly demonstrated and promoted his patented submarine technology to the U.S. government as being safe and practical and would be quite suitable for military use with the addition of armaments. But Congress was attracted by the powerful political backing the Holland Company who were ready to build their designs. Simon Lake was offered several million dollars by Cuba for the Argonaut II , but Simon refused, wanting to serve his own country.		Photo from The American Submarine, by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst. Photo added 03/18/08.

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this Vessel

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Chief of Naval Operations Submarine Warfare Division The Saga of the Submarine Early Years to the Beginning of Nuclear Power
Lake Submarines
WORLD SUBMARINE HISTORY TIMELINE 1580-2000

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This page is created and maintained by Michael Mohl & Darryl Baker © 2008 Michael Mohl © 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.