Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-07-19
VOL. X NO. ~.

ootl SUES Tue precise spot WneTe tney be-
lieved the vessel was located A series Of
experiments was then commenced by them,
to ascertain whether vessel was sunk in
the river at that place, for there was nothing
of one to be seen. These experiments have
been continued from time to time, having
been interrupted by the death of one of the
parties in interest. They have, however,
been pursued Of late more thoroughly, since
the property has come into the hands Of one
person, by the settlement Of the estate Of
the other party, who was interested in the
purchase. The results of these experiments
are entirely corroboratory of the traditions.
The river is not clear enough to see but
a very little depth below the surface Of the
water. From the long time which the YES
sci had been sunk, being now about lbs
years, it could not but be expected that she
would be covered with mud. Experiments
were therefore commenced with pricking
with long poles, with iron points. Timber
was soon found little below the mud
The mud being soft the poles went down with
little effort, until they were stopped by strik-
| ing what any one from the sound and SEM
sa,ion OF the hand, could have no doubt
was wood. BY jamming the pole hard it
would stick fast, much so, it could with
difficulty be pulled out, and, on sticking
down pole with barbed point, fastened to
the pole. bv the pole being driven in a SOCK
ct and rivet put through the pole and iron,
to make the iron fast TO the pole, so much
power was applied to the pole, that il tore it
from the iron, before the iron would let 90
Of the timber, and it was left fast sticking
into the wood. This is the part of the yes
sci nearest the shore and from which small
part ofthe deck is supposed to be blown off,
and, no doubt from the firmness with which
the iron drove in, it must have gone end
ways into the wood An attempt was there
fore made, to find by pricking other timbers
at the distance a knee of a vessel would or
dinary be placed, and the attempt was sue
cessful, and after setting up poles, and maxi
ing them plumb at these various points, they
made the curve of part of the side of a
large vessel. An experiment was afterwards
tried, by boring with long augers, with tin
cases round them, to save the chips. On GO
ing further into the river, in 20 or 25 feet
water, and boring the result was little mud
Of one or two feet depth, then thro' plank
of soaked wood, very spongy, and which
shipwright of great skill and experience,
who was employed, as well as others, do not
hesitate TO say is, Dine.c The augers. would
; then drop number of feet, and then bring
mp and on boring, the timber was found to
be English oak and in perfect state Of
f preservation. Some Of the chips were char
red, thus confirming the traditions, that she
was partly burned specimens Of these chips
we now have. This experiment was many
, times repeated. In some cases timber was
, bored, which it took nearly an hour to bore
through, and, in other cases, the augers
, would be brought up on something solid,
whether on an iron box, cask or barrel of
/ specie, or on iron bars, it was impossible TO
I tell, only that it could not be bored. aeaa
RI During the present season experiments
/ have been prosecuted by sending diver in
{ an ingenious dress, for submarine operations,
of new invention by Mr. Sargent, (under
/ whose direction future operations will be
carried on which have resulted as follows !:
/ 1t being early in the season. the water was
unusually muddy, and the divers were con-
$ seqently unable to see much of any thing
ri They. however, soon found the end of tim
4 Der Just above the mud. In another case,
u and at nearly the greatest distance from the
!. shore, in which from our calculations we
Il suppose the vessel extends, we found piece
Of metal like the breach of piece of ord
~ nance, as near as could be determined bv
, feeling with the hand On this a piece of
i twilled cotton was rubbed BY the diver which
4 was so much stained that it did not wash out
by hard rubbing, boiling and dipping in
strong fresh ley of wood ashes. The stain
was pronounced by those who washed the
piece of cloth, to be like the stain from a
rusty brass kettle. A piece of the cloth
1t was also torn off, before washing and SUBJ
S jected to chemical test, being dipped in
e suphuric acid, and it Immediately turned a
n greenish blue. From the description of the
d diver, the washing and chemical test, we
81 have no doubt it was brass cannon. Our
r object when we went being only a survey,
E. we had no apparatus to raise large weights,
1t neither for removing mud. If she was the
N vessel we believed she was, we supposed she
er would be mounted on her upper deck with
7, old howi,1ers The diver therefore worked
10 in the mud as near as we can calculate in
he the position of one side of the deck of the
'r vessel, near the bow, about where she be-
., gins to curve, and came to piece of metal
er which he said he thought was gun. He
le said he could make fast to the object and al
u though, as we before stated, we we're not
prepared for raising large weights, we de-
G, iermined to satisfy ourselves Of the correct
he ness of his opinion, if possible, before leav.
x, ing, We accordingly took one Of our an,
I'd Choir chains and the diver made fast TO the
object, and we succeeded in raising it, II
is an old-fashioned howitzer Ii has han.
Mt die like jug handle on the breach, sigh
lis at the muzzle, and the breach is square and
On appears TO be screwed in. We dare say
h, there is not more ancient looking piece Of
n armament in tho country 4 Nt