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Ictíneo-Monturiol for underwater navigation: historical review of the discovery of underwater navigation

Date
1861
Archive
Municipal Archive of Barcelona
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT-AHCB-B 1861 8º op. 3
Link to the archive
Description

In the context of tests that had been going on since the beginning of the 19th century to get a ship that could be submerged for military purposes, Narcís Monturiol designed the first civilian submarine, the Ictíneo I, with capacity for five people and with the aim of facilitating the collection of coral. The first tests were carried out in the port of Barcelona in 1859, achieving a total of 69 dives without suffering any accidents. After this first project, the Ictíneo II was developed.
The book contains the description of the tests and verified descents, including the official test that was done in front of the Minister of the Navy in Alicante. Many documents are included, the memoirs published by the author and the opinion of the Catalan University, in addition to the names of the collaborators, crew members and supporters of the invention.