| Birth: | Sep. 4, 1866
Pleasantville
Atlantic County
New Jersey, USA | | Death: | Jun. 24, 1945
Bridgeport
Fairfield County
Connecticut, USA | 
Marine engineer and inventor, numerous patents for submarines. He is considered "The Father of the Modern Submarine." In 1894 he demonstrated his first submarine, 'Argonaut, Jr.', in the waters of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. In 1898, a much improved version, 'The Argonaut', was the first submarine to operate on the open seas during a trip from Norfolk, Virginia to New York City, New York. Among his related inventions are the "omniscope" (forerunner of the submarine periscope), conning tower, twin pressure hulls, ballast tanks for producing negative and positive bouyancy for dive control as opposed to Holland's use of neutral bouyancy and diving planes and constant motion, the control room, the escape trunk, hydroplanes and more. Initially failing to interest the U.S. Navy, he sold his new boat 'The Protector' to the Russian Navy. In 1908 the US Navy procured the USS SEAL. Following WWI, the Lake Torpedo Boat Company was forced to close when the War Department took control of submarine construction. A posthumous honor was accorded him in 1964 when the United States Navy commissioned the USS SIMON LAKE(AS-33), a submarine tender. He was also the subject of a postage stamp for the Federated States of Micronesia.
Son and nephew of the founders of Ocean City, NJ and developers of Atlantic City, NJ
Grandfather of actress Ann Sothern whose birth name was Harriet Lake.
Several articles and a book have been written about Simon Lake including Argonaut: The Submarine Legacy of Simon Lake by John Poluhowich.
Google Search: Simon Lake submarine (bio by: Mark Maxwell)
Search Amazon for Simon Lake | | | Burial:
Kings Highway Cemetery
Milford
New Haven County
Connecticut, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Mark Maxwell
Record added: Jun 02, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 14482765 |
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Added by:
Ron Moody
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Cemetery Photo
Added by:
Dave Lombard
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