The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-11-06 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

them, to come close enOugh to touch .the end of his Lake of Boden. The operation, however, did not
trunk. The next thing was to introduce to their notice prove successful, the air bags bursting owing to the
the large male ladian Rhinocerous. However quiet faulty form given to them, which was tomewhat that
the horseasePte inc4ned to be, this savage monster was of a balloon. fri*Russia the air-barlystem was first
AtCernelPinigry iia 'the sight of the men on horseback iutroduiali Oa M. J. Alexandrovek:a, who successfully
istato close proximity to his abode, and he rushed and appliser it in assistiug to raise the turret ironclad
snorted about in and around his pa&ock in a frightful •,•:tizrrich, al ion sank in the Baltic in 1865. Admiral
state of excitement, and Lad it been in his power to 'Popoff, of the Russian Imperial Navy, from the first
ret at them, he would doubtless have made short work tealitied the practical value of the invention, iasd mate-
with his new acquaintances. Notwithstanding his fury li-iallsta les4itted M. Alexandrovsk-y in perfecting his
Coomassie behaved in the most cool and composed 'slyeteni. ' After a course of experiments it was in time
mailmen It was most delightful to witness the waechful developea into a valuable means of raising sunken
and intelligent gaze with which this beautiful animal shias, and as such it has formed a very important ad-
kept his eyes upon the frantic and enraged rhino- junct of the Russian Imperial Naval Service, and has
ceros, without exhibiting any particular fear or alarm; likewise proved useful to the mercantile marine of that
and no doubt this calleees on his part assisted- country. -. ~14 r
a,
greatly tis quiet his two companions, Cockney and r'le ayatem as carried out in Russia consists in the
Daahwood. It soon became evident that the task employment of a series of cylindrical bags which are
would ha safely and perfectly accomplished. The drawn down empty to the hull of a submerged vessel
camels were soon afterwards tried, and these appeared and are attached to jaa,
_Air is_ then_punined inalrem
likely_ at. lint to afford rather more trouble than-the- abae, the bags are inflated,, and the vessel is raised.
elephant and rhinoceros. Their long, shaggy hair, cilia ilterbtoaTdipirinaiple of the application of the
the strange humps, and queer heads and necki, seemed . invanti
.piliAr h:eviever, is , subject to vatidus
to puzzle the horses considerably; but after a wifile -friodificaticesi, ais will_presently be seen—The bags are
they allowed them to- come near enough to smell about 20 feet in length and 12 feet in clbmeter, and
them, and gradually acquire more confidence, until the Ming power of one of these is equal to about 60
they would stand side by side and pass round or tens. The larger bags measure 20 in length and have
between, them, touching them with their noses and a diameter of 15 feet, and their lifting power is equal
becoming quite familiar. It may appear singular, but to about 100 tons. The cost of these bags varies from
the horse Coomassie appeared to have a wish to £350 to £375 each in St. Petersburg, according as a
examine and re-visit all the animals in the gardens; greater or less number is ordered. They are formed
he required no urging to bring him face to face with of thick canvas and india-lubber in alternate layers.
the lions and tigers, notwithstanding the excitement The inner and middle layers of canvas are formed
into which the sight of the laoise caused these animals of strips sewn together along the edges and
to fly, but Coomaasie looked at them with a most in- placed longitudinally, or in the same way as
quiring eye, not appearing in the slightest degree the staves of a barrel. Between these, and on their
alarmed. This, then, ended the training of three of outside, is a layer of sheet india rubber, next to which
the finest of the Prince's horses, and it is to be hoped comes an outer layer of canvas formed of strips sewn
they will, when the time comes, do credit to their together at their edges and disposed around the bag as
teachers and render the service for which they are en- are the hoops of a barrel, thus insuring strength and
gaged, and that we may once more behold them, with resistance against internal and external pressure. All
their Royal master, none the worse for their visit to the canvas layers are saturated with a solution of india-
India. rubber. Over the outward canvas is a layer of matting,

outside which comes a rope netting whicii is held up to
the bags by straps, and cannot Op off when ths bag is
not inflated. The bags are further encased within a
system of thick ropes placed around them horizontally
and vertically, to which iron eyes are attached for con-
necting them with the sunken vessel. By this arrange-
ment the strains due to lifting are equally distributed
over the entire exterior surface of the bag. In some
cases a stout oaken beam is attached to the outer ropes,
and the connecting chains are made fast to the beam.
At the top of the air-bag and in the centre is a valve
from which proceeds the inflating hose, which is of
indiarubber. In line with this hose, and at each end
of the bag is a tube with a valve for the emission of air,
which is fitted, when necessary, with a pressure gauge,
by which the pressure in the interior of the bag can be
ascertained. At the bottom of the bag are two lengths
of hose, each opening into the bag at one end and ter-
minating in a safety valve outside the bag at the other.
When the bag has been fully inflated, if the air pumps
be kept at work, the surplus air will effect its escape
through these valves. 'The bursting of the bag is thus
prevented, and an even distribution of the air pressure
at the ends of the bag is secured. In the bottom of the
bag, and placed directly under the inlet valve, is a
manhole for the admission of a workman to inspect or
repair the bags. When not in use these bags occupy
but little space, and therefore are convenient both for
stowage and transport.
Simple as are these useful appliances in construc-
tion, in use they are no less so. Assuming it to be
required to raise a sunken vessel, divers would first
descend to the wreck and ascertain the most convenient
points for passing the cables under her. That settled,
they would first pass a thin rope under her, with which
they would draw under a stouter one, by which in turn
a chain cable would be hauled under. The ropes are
ordinarily drawn under by means of winches on board
ships above. It has, however, happened that this
planhas failed to draw the cable under. In this emer-
gency an air bag has been attached to the rope, and its
ascensional power has been found ample to draw the
cable under the vessel. The requited number of chains
having been drawn under the ship and made fast_
around her, the air bags are attached to them as near
to the bottom of the ship as possible. The transverse
chains are connected with a horizontal chain, which
prevents them slipping laterally. Upon the bags
being inflated, by means of air pumps placed on board '
a ship above, the submerged vessel begins to rise, and
as the pressure of the surrounding water decreases, the
surplus air quits the bags through the safety valves.
When the sunken vessel lies in very deep water only
a certain number of the air bags required to give flota-
tation are attached to the vessel directly. The re-
mainder, which -are few in number, are Made fast to
chains connected with the wreck at a depth of only a
few fathoms below surface. Upon inflating the bags
the vessel is raised as far from the ground as nipper
bags were from the surface at starting. The ship, with
all the air bags connected to it, is then floated into
shallower water, where the upper bags are detached
from the chains at the surface and reattached a few
fathoms lower down, when the ship is again raised to
the height allowed by the upper bags and floated into
still shallower water. This operation is repeated until
the ship is raised to the surface, and the necessity for
it arises from the fact that a vessel ascending with
great rapidity acquires a momentum which raises it
' higher than is consistent with equilibrium at the sur-
face, and it eventually becomes submerged again.
This is due to the continued decrease of pressure in the
bags as they rise, owing to the escape of air through
the valves, so that when the vessel reaches the surface
the bags do not possess sufficient power of flotation to
retain her in that position, and she therefore sinks
again. The same method of procedure is also observed
in cases where the ship does not begin to rise hori-
zontally, but with one end much higher than the
other.
The invention has proved very valuable to the Rus-
sian Government, a number of vessels having been
raised—some of which were sunk at great depths—and
others partially lifted on the surface by its aid. Among
the early instances of its successful application was the
raising of a merchant ship which foundered in the
Baltic in 1869. She was laden with pig iron, and,
owing to her great weight, it was resolved, if possible,
to remove her deck and take her cargo out after-
wards. The air bags were therefore attached with
this view, and when they had been inflated they
brought to surface the deck, with the masts and
rigging, together with the upper strakes of her
sides which were tarn from the hull of the
vessel, thus demonstrating the power of the air-
bag system. In 1870 the gunboat Metch foundered in
the roads of Tranzund in 21ft. of water, and was raised
by means of this system of air bags. The Buten was
raised in the same year in ten days, and the ironclad
Sevastopol was lifted for repairs, and was properly
repaired while so lifted, the destruction of the lower
edge of her armour-plating, due to the action of the
copper sheathing, being satisfactorily stopped. But
• for this system the vessel must have had her armour-
plates removed before being docked, as at that time
there were no docks which could take her in with
her armour on. Similarly, in the same year, the
stern of the ironclad frigate Minin was raised,
and, aided by some barges, she was successfully
conveyed over the Neva bar to Cronstadt. In 1870,
also, the Imperial yacht Standhart was conveyed
over the Neva bar in the same way, and the stern of the
ironclad Prin%Poiarsky was lifted by Me same means.
An attempt was made in 1872 to raise a vessel
which had sunk in Biorke-Zund at a depth of 15
fathoms by means of barges, but the attempt failed.
The air-bag system, however, was successfully ap-
plied, notwithstanding the comparatively small size,
great weight, and peouliar _form of the vessel. In the
following year the pitch of the screw propellers of the
Popoffka Novgorod required changing, and, three bags
having been placed under her stern, it was lifted 5f t.
out of the water, and the necessary alterations made
to the screw. Again, during last year the Novgorod
was similarly twice lifted for alterations to her screws.
In the Baltic, also, last year a mercantile vessel—the
Dornkat—foundered, -and Was raised by the air-bag
system, notwithstanding that the ship was buried at a
depth of 11 fathoms in the mud and ooze at the bottom
of the sea. The air-bag system is likewise rendering
great assistance to the engineers who are constructing
the new bridge over the Neva at St. Petersburgh.
From what has been stated it will be seen that the
air-bag system has many advantages which admirably
adapt it for the purposes for which it is required. It
possesses enormous lifting power when the bags are in-
flated, and when not in use they stow away in a very,
small space. In rough weather, although opera-
tions may have to be suspended, the work of raising
a vessel is only delayed, and there is no labour
thrown away, inasmuch as the bags, uninflated, can
be buoyed and left under water until calmer weather
enables operations to be resumed. In the case of
the Dornkat, owing to the winter setting in, the bags
already attached to the ship were left to themselves
during the winter, and operations were re-commenced
in the Spring at the point at which they had been re-
linquished, no damage having been sustained in the
meantime. It was one of these bags which—as stated
in The Times—the Russian frigate Olaf recently
brought over as a present from the Russian Admiralty,
and with which experiments are to be made in order to
test its adaptability for raising the Vanguard.

engtb, of its grey towers, the fantastic carvings, the
exquieitely chiselled eculpture6 the court of a thousand DESTRUCTIVE FIRE ATt, PRESTON.
pillars, with its sacred monkeys, otethe great temple- . -
jewels and treasures Otßrirengane. , This collection About half-past .t, we on ...vie/way afternoon, a fire
chiefly consieta of ornaments for the adornment of the broke out in Aers. foul Cutter.* Son, and Co.'s
god, the Kristna Avatite of Vishnu, on special occa- cotOr mills, Need-eel-lane, Rigby-street, Preston.
sions. There are armlets and eeeklaces, and breast- , Thehande had just returned TO work from dinner,
plates, and crowns, allset with getne—diaznondandruby, when, in the top story, flames were discovered among
and emerald, topaz, and opal, and sapphire, and eearl. the shafting, and spread with alarming rapidity. All
Onenecklace, of emeralds, rubies, audeAttinonds, with the workpeople, numbering about 300, succeeded in
pearl pendaets, is -oroputed to be wortkeix lakhs of making their escape uninjured, with the exception of
rupe.-s (k 60,000 The god has several umbiellas, with one man, who, being unable to force his way through
covers of pearl network, and one of these bears, ac- , the flames, broke through a skylight and got out upon
cording to estimation, 125,000 small, but extremely the roof, and was let down by. means of ladders.
clear-coloured pearls. Amongst the treasures are huge ' a very short time the fire descended to the
vessels of purest gold, under the weight of which th bird story, and then with a loud crash the roof
attendants' who show them to the few that are allowed ell in. The steam fare engine and the band engine
to inspect the temple treasures, stagger as they bring , of the Preston fire brigade, besides engines belong-
them into the show chamber. The mace of the god is 1 jug to other mills in the town, played with great
a mass of Told sheathed for the greater part by large I-force, but to little purpose, on the mass of flames. A
Eat diamonds. It is impossible to estimate the in- pertion of the gable end gave way,-as well as the
trinsic value of the Sriraugarn gems. They are badly western side of the building, and fell outwards. A cab
cut, and some of the largest emeralds, rubies, and filled with municipal electors had an exceedingly nar-
diamonds are scarcely eut at all. Yet some; wretchec escape, as it had only just passed when a part of
cut as they are, emit a surprising lustre. There are the wall fell. With equal rapidity the flames spread
several hundreds of huge pear-shaped pearls, but these to the second, and thence to the bottom story, and the
again are bored through the centre; and this although it attention of the firemen was solely directed to the
may enhance the value of the gems in the Hindoo's boiler and weaving sheds, which adjoined the mill,
eyes, naturally lessens their value in the estimation of and in this they were successful. The origin of the fire
an European jeweller. The Srirangam pagoda re- is not known, though it is suspected that it was fric-
ceived a valuable gift of a porticn of these jewels a few tion of the gearing. The mill was built in 1856, em-
years ago from a peculiarly holy ascetic. This man, a ployed about 300 hands, contained 13,000 throstle
Brahmin vowed that for ten years he would not eat a spindles' and 26,000 mule spindles. The damage is
morsel of food or drink a drop of water on any day estimated at £30,000, which is covered by insurance.
that he did not receive for the god a donation of 100 This is the third mill within about a couple of mouths
rupees (210). He was at first frequently nearly starved that has been destroyed by fire in Preston.
to death, but such a devotee was not to be lost to the
faith. The pious rallied round him, and, at the end of
the stipulated term, he presented the temple with a
magnificent necklace of emeralds and rubies and other
ornaments, worth in all upwards of £25,000.

Ily trow.