Submersibles Through Time
The world's first submersible (1620)
Records show that British carpenter and gunner William Bourne
designed the world's first truly submersible boat as early as 1578,
but it was not until Dutch physicist Cornelius Drebbel modified
Bourne's plans 40 years later that the man-powered submarine finally
came into existence. Shaped like an enclosed rowboat, the vessel
included ballast tanks for stability and a system of screws for
managing the amount of water in her tanks, enabling the submersible
to sink or rise. Complete with six oars (and 12 oarsmen) for
propulsion, a snorkel-like apparatus for air, and leather hides for
waterproofing, Drebbel's third version of this contraption could
descend to a depth of 15 feet, allowing it to travel down the Thames
River.