Editing Narcís Monturiol (section)

==Biography==
Monturiol i Estarriol was born in the city of [[Figueres]], [[Catalonia]] Spain. He was the son of a [[cooper (profession)|cooper]]. Monturiol went to high school in [[Cervera]] and got a law degree in [[Mostoles]] in 1845. He solved the fundamental problems of underwater navigation. In effect, Monturiol invented the first fully functional engine-driven submarine.<ref>Cargill Hall, R. (1986). ''History of rocketry and astronautics: proceedings of the third through the sixth History Symposia of the International Academy of Astronautics, Volumen 1''. NASA conference publication. American Astronautical Society by Univelt, p. 85. {{ISBN|0-87703-260-2}}</ref><ref>[http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/08/submarines-1.html A steam powered submarine: the Ictíneo] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421074741/http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/08/submarines-1.html |date=21 April 2016 }} Low-tech Magazine, 24 August 2008</ref>

Monturiol never practiced law, instead turning his talents to writing and publishing, setting up a publishing company in 1846, the same year he married his wife Emilia. He produced a series of journals and pamphlets espousing his radical beliefs in feminism, pacifism, and [[utopia]]n [[communism]]. He also founded the newspaper "''La Madre de Familia''", in which he promised "to defend women from the tyranny of men" and ''[[La Fraternidad]]'', Spain's first communist newspaper.

Monturiol's friendship with [[Abdo Terrades|Abdó Terrades]] led him to join the Republican Party and his circle of friends included such names as musician [[Josep Anselm Clavé]], and engineer and reformist [[Ildefons Cerdà]]. Monturiol also became an enthusiastic follower of the utopian thinker and socialist [[Étienne Cabet]]; he popularised Cabet's ideas through ''La Fraternidad'' and produced a Spanish translation of his novel ''Voyage en Icarie''. A circle formed round ''La Fraternidad'' raised enough money for one of them to travel to Cabet's utopian community, [[Icarians|Icaria]].

Following the [[revolutions of 1848]], one of his publications was suppressed by the government and he was forced into a brief exile in France. When he returned to Barcelona in 1849, the government curtailed his publishing activities, and he turned his attention to science and engineering instead.

A stay in [[Cadaqués]] allowed him to observe the dangerous job of [[coral]] harvesters where he even witnessed the death of a man who drowned while performing this job. This prompted him to think of submarine navigation and in September 1857 he went back to Barcelona and organized the first commercial society in Spain dedicated to the exploration of submarine navigation with the name of ''Monturiol, Font, Altadill y Cia.'' and a capital of 10,000 [[Spanish peseta|peseta]]s.

In 1858 Monturiol presented his project in a scientific thesis, titled ''The Ictineo'' (Fish-Ship). The first dive of his first [[submarine]], ''Ictineo I'', took place in September 1859 in the harbour of Barcelona.

[[File:Ictineu I Museu Marítim Barcelona.jpg|thumb|left|''Ictíneo I'' replica at the ''Museu Marítim'' in Barcelona.]]

=== ''Ictíneo I'' ===
{{Main|Ictíneo I|l1 = ''Ictíneo I''}}

''Ictíneo I'' was {{convert|7|m|abbr=on}} long with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|2.5|m|abbr=on}} and [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|3.5|m|abbr=on}}. Her intended use was to ease the harvest of [[coral]]. ''Ictíneo I''{{'}}s prow was equipped with a set of tools suited to the harvest of coral. During the summer of 1859, Monturiol performed more than 20 dives in ''Ictíneo I'', with his business partner and shipbuilder as crew. ''Ictíneo I'' possessed good handling, but her top speed<!--which was?--> was disappointing, as it was limited by the power of human muscles.

''Ictíneo I'' was eventually destroyed by accident in January 1862, after completing some fifty dives, when a cargo vessel ran into her at her [[Berth (moorings)|berth]]. 

A modern replica of ''Ictíneo I'' stands in the garden entrance to the Marine Museum in Barcelona.

[[File:Ictineo II.jpg|thumb|''Ictíneo II'' replica at Barcelona.]]

=== ''Ictíneo II'' ===
{{Main|Ictíneo II|l1 = ''Ictíneo II''}}

The ''Ictíneo II'' was originally intended as an improved version of the handpowered ''Ictíneo I''. The Spanish Navy pledged support to Monturiol but did not actually supply it, so he had to raise funds himself, writing a letter to the nation to encourage a popular subscription which raised 300,000 pesetas from the people of Spain and Cuba and was used to form the company ''La Navegación Submarina'' to develop the ''Ictíneo II''.

Monturiol's ultimate plan envisaged a vessel custom-built to house his new engine, which would be entirely built of metal and with the engine housed in its own separate compartment. Due to the state of his finances, construction of the metal vessel was out of the question. Instead, he managed to assemble enough funds to fit the engine into the wooden ''Ictíneo II'' for preliminary tests and demonstrations.

On 22 October 1867, ''Ictíneo II'' made her first surface journey under steam power, averaging {{convert|3.5|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on|lk=on}} with a top speed of {{convert|4.5|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}. On 14 December, Monturiol submerged the vessel and successfully tested his air-independent engine, without attempting to travel anywhere.

On 23 December that same year, Monturiol's company went bankrupt and could attract no more investment.<ref>{{cite book | last = Stewart | first = Matthew | title = Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World | publisher = Profile Books Ltd. | year = 2003 | isbn = 1-86197-470-1}}</ref> The chief creditor called in his debt, and Monturiol was forced to surrender his sole asset, ''Ictíneo II''. The creditor subsequently sold her to a businessman, and the authorities, who taxed all ships, issued its new owner with a tax bill. Rather than pay the bill, he dismantled the submarine and sold it for scrap.<ref>Cindy Lee Van Dover. [http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/a-utopians-submarine A Utopian's Submarine] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213006/http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/a-utopians-submarine |date=3 March 2016 }}. Retrieved on 2008-08-01</ref> A replica can be seen at the harbor of Barcelona.