Submarine Torpedo Boat
By John P. Holland, February 18, 1875
Ink on paper
15" x 20 1/4"
National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance

Submarine Torpedo Boat
In 1875 Irish American John P. Holland sent the U.S. Navy this design for an experimental 15 1/2-foot long torpedo boat. Designed to operate underwater, the submarine required 1/10 horse power and could be managed by one man. In his accompanying letter to the Secretary of the Navy, Holland wrote that he did not try out the device himself for fear of discovery by others and asked the Secretary if he was interested in having the invention tested. Although this design was rejected, Holland continued to improve his invention; and on October 12, 1900, the U.S. Navy commissioned the first true submarine, the 64-foot U.S.S. Holland.