The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-11-06 00:00:00

PORTLAND.

THE REV. W. APPLEFORD, newly appointed clergyman
at the Grove, commenced hit ministrations, preaching at
St. Petees, on Sunday.

THE DANISH COINVITE DASMAR, from Copenhagen for
Cadiz, sought the shelter of Portlands Roads during the
gab of Monday, and exchanged salutes.
The Malta, steam tug, Harding, master, arrived on
Friday at Portland, with stereo for the Boscawen and
Thunderer.

A NORWEGIAN CoirxrrE came int Portland Roads on
Thursday evening, and at nine on Friday exchanged the
cmdomary salutes with the Admiral of the Channel Meet.
Another vessel of the Scandinavian navy put in on
Monday evening about half-past eight, and the atmosphere
was again rent with the saluting guns. The Corvette was
in want of coals. _ _

—LOSS OF THE WARRIOR'S MOORINGS.—II.M.S. Warrior
on Wednesday went out for practice, and on her return
found she had tout her rOoreMES, and had to come to
anchor. It was supposed the shackle had come out. On
Thursday morning they were occupied in getting the
moorings again, and it took some hours, for they had sunk
so mach in the mud, that the diver could not find them.
SOUVENIR OF THE GREAT COLLISION.—The parents of
Mr. John Graham, of hlagherafelt, Ireland, who was
drowned in the Forest-Avalanche Collision, have presented
to Mr. Royal. our postmaster, a -beautiful Daily Souvenir
md Autograph Album, in acknowli ilgrnent of his kindness
in making careful and repeated enquiries in the hope of
identifying the dead body of their son. The present was
accompanied by a photiaraph of deceased.
THE EFFECT OF THE MASONS' STRIKE— Among the losses
t Portland trade hy the Loudon Masons strike has been
that of the supply of material for the Savings' Rank, con-
nected with the General Post Office. In July last it was
settled to still this of Pot-tland Aton”; hut the strike haa
alarmed those who had to see the work carried out, and it
now arranged that the Savin,:s' Bank shall be constructed
of stueco work.

ACCIDENT TO • DOOCART.—Oh Thursday, Mr. 11.
liu@sell, draper, of Fortune's.well, and Mr. Parsons, rail.
way stationmaster, were returning to Portland, when,
between the Wyke slopes and the Ferry-bridge, a @haft
broke, and Mr. Russell was thrown forward, and jammed
between the dashboard and the horse. Fortunately, the
animal was very quiet, instead of kicking Mr. Russell, and
both gentlemen were unhurt, and walked into Portland
late that night, the vehicle being fetched next day.
TIITNDERER RUNNETG DOWN A YACHT. —lt
Thunderer on Friday left her moorings with a committee
of inspection on board, to steam in circles in order to
discover the shortest space in which she road turn. The
weather was very beautiful, and the giant iron-clad at
first steamed towards the Breakwater End, as if she were
going outside. Her trip was shortened, and she made her
circles at the entrance to the Roads. About 4 o'clock, a
small cutter yacht of seven tons, named the Emma, and
belonging to Mr. C. Carter, of Weymouth, was lying at
anchor, when the Thunderer ran right jut, her. Mr.
Lewis and a lad narmel Harry Carter, were on board; and
the lad climbed over the Thunderer s anchor chains and
saved himself ; Mr. Lewui was knocked overboard, and
nearly drowned ; but managed fortunately to catch a rope
hanging from the yacht, and a sailor jumped from the
Thunderer, and helped him into the big ship. A steam
launch was put off to the Emma, but managed to run into
her again; finally the little yacht was taken to the camber
at Portland, to be put on the ship. A Hampshire con-
temporary writes—" It is now resolved that the experi-
ments which Admiral Sir James Hope's Committee have
asked to have made upon the Thunderer, and which were
to have been male at Spithead after the ship had been
docked at Port.rnouth, shall be made at once off Portland,
where the Thunderer is at present stationed. The experp
sent., will, in all probability, be conducted by one of the
Admiralty draughtsmen, who have been placed at the ser-
vice of Mr. Fronde, hut who will be assisted by a couple
I of officers from Portsmouth Dockyard. These latter pro-
ceeded to Portland on Wednesday, taking with them the
necessary apparatus, including two dozen boxes or casks
for marking the circles turned through by the ship. The
exoeriments which are to be conducted upon the
Thunderer are of an entirely novel character, and are
likely to prove both interesting and valuable. The ship
will be taken out to sea, and will he made to turn in •
circle with the helm head over. The speed will be care-
fully measured all the way round the circle; the angles
turned through during successive equal intervals of time
will also be noted, and the keel of the skip will be con-
tinuously recorded. Other observations will be made,
and the circles turned through by the ship will be after-
wards very carefully measured. The experiments w:II
be repeated at three different speeds."—Let us hope
the great Thunderer will not run down any other yacht,
in her trials. Mr. Lewis, who was in the Emma on
Ftarii2a, is still suffering much from the shock then sus-

How the Forest was Blown up.

Perhaps never has been the subject of the destruc-
tion of a ship so close to our shores been made the peg
on which to hang such curious statements as the
removal and demolition of the Forest wreck. Only a
few miles off at any time, :mild lately positively within
the protection of tbirtland R a Is, and within sight of
telescope, even of the mike I eye, the mil mtunate
Forest has been all along somewhat of a spectral
illusion. Only a few days ago it was stated in some of
your contemporaries, Mr. Editor, that a charge of
700th. of po xiler hal been exploded under her at
one-:•, while we all r-collect the astonishing statement
that H.M. yacht Galatea was the carrier of dry wine
and pet,. de foie erns. Such remarkable myths of an
excited imagination are becoming accepted hi sober
I sadness by the Channel Squadron awl the Trinity
Hon4e Corporation as attempts wilfully to pervert
I factis and bold them up to ridicule. So, towards the close
I of the operations, when it WM likely that the Forest
, w ,ulil soon be no more a danger and an obstruction in
Portland Roa Is, a nightmare to the services, and a butt
for the fancies of stay-at-home public writer,,, [accepted
• very kind invitation of some days' standing by
Captain Nisbet, It.N., to see and hear for your
, readers' information the actual facts. It is wisely said
that the history of a battle cannot be written until it
I is over ; and, near as the Forest has been, and practic-
ableas has been the access to her, it would seem that the
fancies we have been subjected to in the London
papers would have been a a airce of amusement to
those at work, were it not that these fancies have been
I so annoying.
- - •- •

-
Taking a very early passage in the Trinity steam-
launch Midge, which wm brought d iwn by rail for
the removal, I learn, either from Skipper i-tatiley or
hie mate Tracey, that Weymouth is far behind in the
matter of conveniencee to a harbour, for not a eingle
crane was available to pot the little craft avid her
enzines afloat along,ehle Weymouth Quay, and our
tptay wale, too, are regarded with contempt by thme
who have seen other port.
" Oh, wad some power the giftie gie
To see our-els as ithvre see us."
The moral I commend to Councillor's who waste
_

public time in defining between a publichouse and an
ton.
Arrived near the Wreck. I find a smart, handsome, and
beautifully finished ate sin yacht, the Argue, anchored
near, the commod we of a small fleet, the Alert, and
the Mermaid, with launches, and am most courteously
received by the gallant Elder Brother of Trinity
!Louse, who shows me one of he spoils from the wreck,
her chain cable, GO fathoms long and the iron of its
massive links two inches in thickness. So large is
this that it will not find a purchaser in this port. This
was got up early in the operations, the cable being
pulled right up through the port hawsehole, and the
captain therefore judges that the fatal blow was given
either stein on, or a little on the starboard bow, the
port bow being not damaged enough to have given the
blow. While the captain is getting his log,
may I note that the glass iliwk house leading
to the cabin of the Argus has been agree-
.. -. •

ahly fitted up somewhat as a ctinservat;!ry,
and is set all round with flowering and foliage
plants in pots ? This pretty feature had an arrow chance
of being utterly smashed on Thursday, when a great
battik hurled high in air by the largest charge yet
used, 311011)., fell within a boat's length of the stern of
the Argus, anil sent etym.., of water into the open door
of the conservatory deck In else.
The gallant captain telle me that it is a New Act
which places the removal of the wrecks in navigable
channels under the Trinity House, and this is the first
Clue the Howie have attended to a removal, as that
they were !somewhat unprepared. The Trinity yacht
Galatea NMI the first to .in the Defence, whose efforts
against the wreck you have chronicled, and here was
suffered a loss early in the attaek, for, as the Galatea
was trying to tow the Defence's bow round, the hawser
!snapped, and a fine Yarn. aith-built gig was torn
from the Galatea'.. davits, and conk to the bottom ;
she was worth £llO. The Alert, too, on coming to the
w. trk, had to put into Plymouth, and in the great gale
was driven into a coal hulk, and did herself some
4:200 or £3OO damage.
The other vessel, the Mermaid, carries 1,000 pounds
of powder, and in her the diver keeps his fit-up.
Lightsmen came from the Penzance district, from the
Cowes district, the other, belong to the Mermaid and
Alert, or to the Shambles.
Gunpowder alone is used ; gun-cotton being so un-
certain that out of eight charges planted by the diver
against another wreck, only two exploded, and
dynamite is not sutthiently dispersive in its action, as
it only strikes a severe blow on one place, whereas, in
the ilemoilit it is roinired to tear apart and break up
at wile distances.. Gunpowder and appliances have
been furnished from It. NI. ironclads, Admiral D.
('aptain Cator (Defence), anil Captain Whyte
(NN arrior), having been particularlv accommodating,
offering alto the loan of boats. Mr. Stathan, gun-
nery lieutenant of the Defence, very early assisted
much, and Lieut. Elrington, R. It., from the Verne,
has been unremitting in attendance.
The wreck lay in nine fathoms of water, near the
middle ef the large Breakwater, and not far from
where the Glutton endured the experimental shots of
the Hotspur, and V/11.4 in three sectione anchored by
the Defence.
On the 19th they commenced clearing mash' and yards
a very heavy job, and as they were cleared from the
wreck, the Alert towed them to Castletow it beach. Six
charges were tired, varying from 1001 b. te 2311,., against
the bow, and large portions were broken off, and
towed to beach.
150th. Commenced at six o'clock a.m., clearing a
large hawser liss which the main portion was moored,
occupied three hours, and after an effective 251 b. dis-
charge, a 3001 b. cask, furnished by Lieut. Shahan,
was got und m the bow, and fireil with extraordinary
effect, the port bow being smashed, the large pieces
fell around the operators, giving them a thorough
wetting, and there were many narrow escapes among
the boats that crowded rount, none expecting to
great an effect.
At half-past three a iolb, charge blew off one end of
the ship's floor.
, 21st. Sunday, blowing a hard gale.
' 22nd. A etrong breeze otntinned to blow from
W.S.W., with hard squalls and dirty weather. A
fresh supply of pewder was, from the Warrior,
and from the wreck Wa...1 detached a piece about 70f1.
by lift. ; but this day the weather was so rough that
they were mostly employed in towing pieces to beach,
and breaking them lip. •
23rd. Several charges were fired, but by this time
they found that email chargee were often as effective as
larger ones, and one charge of only 251 b., left nothing
behind but a piece consisting .if the port quarter, with
molder and stern-poet, and a la,ge pait id the keel.
24th. Several rk lb. charges were fired, oue doing
great execution.
25th. To-day, the Alert unshackled the hawser and
cable by which the wreck had been moored by the
Defence, and returned them to the iron-clad. The
remaining portion if the wreck was secured by 00
fathoms of chain and a sinker, a "mushroom" lahl
out; but this slid not seem necessary, for the wreck
never swung to it, the port quarter, rudder, &c.,
remaining in nearly the same position as it was seen
at sea, being kept In position by a large mass of wire
rigging. Seven explosions were fired ou this day,
and the result of one of them was the hurling of the
large piece which I have mentioned, very near to the
Argue.
30th. The operations were evidently drawing to a
close to-day, although the piece lif wreck left WM in
much the same p trtion as when I had seen it from
the siteamer,the difference being that it was lower in the
water, and showed some ragged edges. The wheel
and other small fittings near the stern were gone;
but the rudder and sternpost eeemed pretty nearly as
before. jt was clear, as I was toll, that the
operations hail commenced at the bow end, and
worked on to the stern. I now saw the difficulty
which had existed in getting the charges properly
placed ; a mass of wire rigging hung below
the surface to a great depth, and the charges
had to be pushes' underneath by force, while
occasionally the wire maim, which could only
now and then be reached to be cut with a cold chieel,
would prevent the charge reaching He place, and the
powder would go off with a great noise, but little
effect. We were honoured to-day with the presence
of a lady, who went on to the wreck as fearlessly, and
examined as minutely, as any of us, even conforming
to the fashion of tasting the great lumps of rock salt
which the Canadians, according, to their custom, had
plentifully placed between the timbers to prevent the
lry rot. Lieut. Elrington reiinteil out the great iron
knee-girders, from din. by 4in to 3in, by oin, thick,
and. by looking down into the ship, he had judged that
she hasl one of these in every Bft, of her length. The
first charge to-slay failed ; hut it was a comfort to
know that with electricity the failure was real, and the
charge not slowly preparing to go off perhaps+ just
when you are coming to examine it, ILA it sometimes
the calve with Pickforire or other fuses. The failure is
generally owing to some ilefeet it, the detonator too
trifling to be discovered. While another charge is
preparing, Captain Nisbet warmly acknewledgee the
services of the Superintendent of the Isle of Wight
district, Mr. Mannall, whom the lady with us cempli-
inents on his perseverance in having almost lived on
the wreck; Mr. Lile, master of the Argue, has also
been very active; Mr. Clavell, tender-keeper of the
Alert; and Mr. Hoppin, from the charge of the buoy-
store at Plymouth. There is only one diver, he is
',toyed by the Corporation of Trinity House; but he
, does not now need te descend beneath the waves. The
1 tin cylioder is filled from the pentagonal awes of the
Royal Navy, with a charge of It. (rifle large
grain) powder, in the midst of which an electric
detonator has been inserted. From this detonator,
which is about as large round as a finger, proceed two
gutta-percha-covered wire*, these are bared of gutta
percha at the ends, which are twisted into similarly
bare ends of the small covered wires connected with
the battery; round them ill bound finer copper wire,
like the twine on a cricket-bat handle, till the Junction
is firm. Then iudia-rubber tape is bound round the
bare wires, until they are carefully covered, and the
ineulatien Li completed with soft gutta-percha or
mixed gum. The charge being pushed to its place, or
as near as the wire rope will allow, the battery boat,
also our launch Midge, and the minima,' fleet of
shore boats back to a safe distance, Captain Nisbet
waves his handkerchief, the current is sent along the
wires from the battery boat, and up rises a great
column of water, smoke, and spray, with planks,
baulks, and odd pieces, ascending according to the
amount of the charge, and the sea is immediately
strewed with detrie of all shapes. About forty boats,
sail, row, or steam to the wreck, and isome of them are
loaded with timber until they are almost level with
the water. Some of the wreckers aim at securing the
yellow-metal sheathing, atil can hardly be got away in
time for the next discharge, otheie pounce upon the
great brass belts that are emb Ailed in the wool The
lady obeerves how the men seem to set their hearts
upon particular pieces, and make desperate efforts to
secure them, leaving behind others equally large, and
more easily attainable. One man spied a plank
shaped very much like a coffin-lid, swooped down upon
it, and with great satisfaction carried it off, it was
suggested for home comminution. That man is so far
provided for death. At 10.25 Captain Nisbet had a
capital hlow-up near the stern post. The pieces, it
was estimated, blew up 200 ft. and the shower
that came down was astounding, the wreck at last
turned from her position, entirely on one slide, the
rudder went down, the deck came up, and the inside,
showing the inner ribs of the ship, and the great knee-
girders. This put the finish to any "landing" on the
wreck 'a quarter, for nothing but a jagged edge

of bristling timbers stood high in air, and there was
no rest for the sole, at all events, of a lady's foot. We
were now able to Pulp of the magnitude of the task ;
so strongly was the orest fastened together, that it
had evidently been futile to attempt to remove her by
, a few explosions, however large, and I sin not at all
, surprised at the apparent failme of the early efforts.
Some more charges are fired; but the F-irest is now
knocked out of all resemblance to what we saw of It-r,
and it is clear that what remains is only to be aceom-
'dished by patient repetitions of small efforts, in fact,
slow and careful breaking up and retivivid. This
Capt. Nisbet expected .o accomplish in a day or two
more, then he could send two boats with a smitten
cable, to sweep over the place where the wreck w.ts,
to the depth of six fathoms, and if all be clear would
declare the breaking-up successfully accomplished.
St pinny weather on Monday interfered with the
operations. Captain Nisbet, however, appiars ti
have taken most e implete measures for the redu 7tion
of the bomb ship, and on Tuisday they had three
explosi-Mo, after the third of which, all that remained
of the Forest was blown into mitimealibt Pi'X'4, and
quickly tiweil away from the place where she hail
been an obstruction. I congratidatothe Trinity 11011/10,
and particularly Captain Nisbet, on the final
termination of this Iliflicnlt and tedious work.
The cost of the removal, including the powder, the
extra wages to the men, ice., it is expected will amount
£l,OOO. On Wednesday afternoon the timber bolts,
&c., .were sold by auction at Ca-itletown beach.