Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-05-20
THE RAISING OF THE ERICSSON.

A special reporter from the Tribune Office visited
the Ericsson yesterday The ship lies easily on n
soft bottom near to the dock Of the Cunard steam
ers in Jersey city. She stands perfectly upright,
her two tall masts, with yards across, standing as
erect rs when she lay Mt the wharf. AT high tide
the wheel house deck is about two feet out Of water
and the saloon deck and her bow rail Just on a
level with it. When the tide is out the water falls
below the main rail Of the ship, leaving her upper
works in full view. Capt. Benson with his wreck
ing schooner, the Rio Grande, and his divers in
submarine armor, is alongside and engaged in
stopping the ports through which the water entered
that sunk the ship.
A large canvas is drawn around the ship, the
luppercdgc Of which is above th water and forms a
sort Of bag encasing the vessel. When the open
ports and headlights shall be all closed by the di-
vers, which was likely to have been completed yes
tcrday nothing will remain to be done but to get
the steam pumps on board and free the ship. The
water in the harbor, in consequence of the late
rains is very turbid and the divers are unable to
see while beneath the surface. They are thus left
to grope their way about the ship, and are complied
mainly to feel out the places which are to be stop
ped. Should none be overlooked in this rather
blind survey of the premises, it is probable the
pumps will be set to work to-day on the ebb tide.
Two of them, it is thought will be enough to free
the ship of water sufficiently to get her aaoat.
Several offers have been made to raise the ship by
contract. The price asked has been in the neigh
borhood Of ten thousand dollars This the owners
regard as too exorbitan., and the labor of getting
her afoat, therefore, goes under the direction OF
Capt. Lowber, the commander Of the ship. II is
an easy job compared with what It would be IL the
ship was in the position she was represented to be,
that is entirely submerged except the tops Of her
wheel-houses.
The damage to the Ericsson must be very con-
siderable, owing to thr swelling Of the woodwork
in the finished parts and the necessity the accident
imposes Of q thorough oyerhauling Of the machin-
cry. Still, the disaster will work no essential injury
to the great experiment.
| The curious operation Of men working in sub
marine armor may bo seen at the Ericsson. Above
water they are, when thus clad the most helpless
of mortals. They are clothed in thick and heavy
India rubber dress, with belts about their legs and
n body filed with shot to tho weight Of about l2e
pounds. The head is encased in huge copper
cap, resting on their shoulders, with glass before
the eyes and mouth. An India rubber tube Of
about an inch diameter is connected to the top Of
the copper cap The other end of the tube is at
tached to an nr.pump. When the mouth-piecc Of
the cap is closed which Of course is done prepare
tory to the descent, the air-pump is vigorous y
worked. The air thus forced in at the head finds
its way out through the dress where it terminates
on the arms, and sometimes bya tube on the breast
guarded against the introduction Of water. When
the diver is thus equipped for his submarine ex-
cursion, he lies helpless the deck. A rope is
attached TO his body, which is passed through q
block on the yard arm, and he is hoisted like a
motionless piece of baggage over the side, and
lowered into the water. He soon descends to where
he does not materially feel the weights attached to
him, and begins to help himself and control bis
own movements. His motion and position under
water are clearly disclosed by the violent agitation
directly his head, occasioned by the escape Of
the air pumped through the tube which leads tc
this miniature prison. a single line is taken in
tho hand Of the diver by which he signalizes those
above water. One pull is the signal to bo taken
up, two pulls for less air and three pulls for
air. The work which tho diver can perform is
quite limited but it is done with considerable cclor