The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-09-05
AFFAIR OF THE CITY.
Visit 70 the British Frigate Hussar-The
Cussesities 81 the Decp-Great Success or
the Uavorn.

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in the East river above Hell Gate upwards of seventy
years ago. This forty -four gun frgate q, many Of ou
readers know was soreship sent over by the British
government in tie revolutionary struggle both TO assist
hsuhjugating the insurgents ship Of war and t.
bring supplies Of arms munition, and money While
passing up the Sound, the 18th OF December 1850
she struck on Pot Rock, In Hell Gate, and was imme
atey run towards the Shore at stoney Island which
upwards Of mile further up the Westchester side
She had gotten within fifty yards Of the island and ths
scers and had Just time to take their boats and
gain the shore, when she went down in eighty Ave feet
Of water with all that she contained including seventy
American prisoners confined below Of whose skele
TONS still irons were found in Of the many diving
operations carried in removing the wreck. That the
Hl~ar when she sunk contained large sum of money
in silver and gold is we The amount stated
at two millions Of dollars The was severely felt BY
the British army the ship contained the soldiers paw
and various supplies greatly needed and no doubt
one Of those Proydentia occurrences by which God him.
Efforts have been made at sundry times since to break
the wreck and obtain what money and valuables
this kind was made by an agent Of the British govern
ment but without success Another was made in 1919
By Mr. Davis and another in 1928 by Major Baird. 1t
will be in the recollection of readers that a pauy
was formed, and the sum of believe $4,000 spent in
in unavaing operations, and the company was finally
per apparatus which the discoveries
supplied. The diving bell has been long in but all
who have SEEM and especially those who have used It,
know that it is very heavy and cumbrous affair and
that man enclosed in It do very little work
under the water and in very deep water scarcely
anything at all. He cannot about freely under
the water any active exertion with his hands.
The invention of the submarine armor, by the late
Captain Taylor, has supplied the defect. With this
appara .us he worked at the wpec short time before
his death, and did much for brief u period. We
should mention, in this Connection that before h.
moved in the matter he went TO England, and
cerained, from the archives of the country, every
thing that the ship contained when she sunk But it
not till last year that ANYTHING esctual had been
accomplished when Messrs Pratt Howe Co., OF Bos-
ton, undertook the task and went at It in right
Hr Pratt Is the successor of Captain TAYLOR and pos.
mis- right to operate the and also the
elusive right to his apparatus excepting the United
States government. Mr. Pratt Is practical diver him
self and was taught the art by Captain Taylor for many
years. The submarine enables diver to dos
eend TO any depth aud move about OH the bottom with
perfect ease, and its construction is such that ua
mted supply Of fresh air be communicated, that
person may rem ain for hours under water and come
up as dry when he went down Hence the grea. sue.
cess that has attended the operations of Pratt Howe
In two reasons they have accomplished than was
achieved in half century Last year they succeeded
In raising large quantity of the wreck together with
arms ammunition, and other articles This season their
success Is still greater, aud all the decks
moved except the lower one beneath which the
lies Even that is penetrated and the divers have
tusly worked their way through her bottom but the
great object Is now 10 remove entire Of The lover
to gut the wreck that the strong current Of
water may sweep away the mud that is collected In her.
They only work about six months in the year at the
furtbest namely nom May till November, aud only at
low and high waterin other words when there is slack
water as the current is so great at all other times that IL
is sble to do anything In the longer days they
generally enabled TO work three tides in the shorter
days but two There could hardly BE- O mere difficult
pacc TO operatc IL is below He'll Gate where the water
rushes with such petuosty and the two tides the one
by the Sound and the other by Sandy Hook meet there
about and what curious current will run in
direction at the bottom and the other in the opposite d
rccton at the top, at the same time.
stoney Island opposite to which the wreck lies
nuca n lmDOrte.
by so narrow and so shallow stripe water from Nan.
haitian island that the interval has been since filed up
IL is nearly opposite Mott Haven The shore go bold
that person can walk right OFF the land seventy
eighty feet water The island is owned by
Morris and will henceforth be called Morris island
schooner is moored with chain cables and anchors
over the spot where the wreck lies the operations
performed from her deck Seven eight men are
employed The submarine armor consists OF strong In
dia rubber and divide into two parts; the
and boots, and the other the jacket which after
being put Joined together by of two copper
rims between which the edges Of the two garments are
inserted and secured by means OF buttons fastened
by wrench, so as to be air tight, and so as that
the two become one coat OF mail The wrists are tapped
tightly so as to exclude the air Attached to the neck OF
the jacket copper helmet, winch protects the head
nom the o. tne water ana serves az the same
time FOR the insertion oil the ar tube LOT the admis
Of sh air. and the valve Tor the emission OF foui air
In the face OF the helmet inserted strong piece OF
glass for the purpose OF enabling the over 10 see OBJECTS
but In the present case on account OF the great depth
OF the water and the current II Is useess as nothing
be below forty feet When the diver is encased
in this submarine armor he presents as curious spec
tacie as can wen DC conceived II the
deep had any idea about the devil have doubt they
would maf IL he " they the diver and swim
away from his satanic majesty as fast as they could II is
sad that scared almost to death by the
pesrsnce 1t Is necessary to haug Weights to the amount
Of about one hundred pounds around the armor so a TO
counterpoise the elect OF the air that Is pumped into
1t by means Of u force pump and sink the diver,
which Is rather slow operation, especially near
the bottom, owing 10 the great pressure OF the
water. II requires two men pumping at the air pump all
the time to resist that pressure and supply fresh air
All things being ready hook, attached 10 rope run
through pulley Inserted Ia ring on the top OF the
helmet and he hoisted overheard feet foremost ano
down he goes with signal line attached 70 his left wrist
and held by person on Geci IA whom the diver thus
commu nicaes while, in his tight hand, he takes with
him rope with small chain and ring attached TO 10,
tor the purpose OF yrg around such portions OF tue
wreck he is enabled 10 donga5e or such articles as
too heavy to bring up in his hands IL is asonish
ing how easily large masses Of heavy matter moved
in the water At great depth thcy set free The
air tube Is hose consisting 81 India rubber with twisted
wire inside to mako strong and keep 1t diated aud
covered with tapping Of twne outside one eud of this
IL connected with the air pump and The other with the
helmet and the fresh air being forced through H. swells