Washington sentinel., 1854-05-09
The Raising Of the Ericsson.


the dock of the Cunard steamers, in Jersey
City. She stands perfectly upright, her two tall
masts, with yards across, standing as erect as
when she lay at 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 q
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. Captain Ben.
son, with his wrecking 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 canvass is drawn around the ship,
the upper edge of which is above the water and
forms sort of bag, encasing the vessel. When
the open ports and headlights shall be all closed
by the divers, which was likely to have been
completed yesterday, nothing will remain to be
done but to get the steam pumps on board and
free the ship. The water in the harbor, in con-
sequence of late rains, is very turbid, and the
divers are unable to see while beneath the sur
face. They are thus left to group their way
about the ship, and are compelled, mainly, to
feel ont the places which are to be stopped.
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 neighborhood of ten thousand dollars.
This the owners regard as quite too exorbitant,
and the labor of getting her afoat therefore,
goes on under the direction of Captain Lober,
the commander of the ship. 1t is an easy Job
compared with what it would it be if the ship
was in the position she was first represented to
be-that is, entirely submerged except the
tops of her wheelhouses. The damage to the
Ericsson must be very considerable, owing to
the swelling Of the wood-works in the finished
parts, and the necessity the accident imposes OF
thorough overhauling Of the machinery.
Still, the disaster will work no essential injury
to the great experiment
The curious operation of men working in
submarine armor may be seen at the Ericsson.
Above water they are, when thus clad, the
most helpless of mortals. They are clothed
in thick and heavy Indian rubber dress, with
belts about their legs and body filed with shot
to the weight Of about l28 pounds. The head
is encased in huge copper cap, resting on
their shoulders, with glass before the eyes and
mouth, An Indian rubber tube of about an
inch in diameter, is connected to the top of the
copper cap. The other end of the tube is at
tached to an air-pump.
which of course is done preparatory to the de-
scent the air-pump is vigorously worked. The
air thus forced in at the head finds its way out
through the dress where it terminates on the
arms, and sometimes by tube from the breast
guarded against the Introduction of water
When the driver is thus equipped for his sub
marine excursion, he lies helpless on the deck
A rope is attached to his body, which is
passed through block on the yardarm, and
he is hoisted like 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 his own movements.
His motion and position under water are clear
ly disclosed by the violent agitation directly
over his head, occasioned by the escape Of the
air pumped through the tube which leads to
his miniature prison. A single line is taken in
the hand Of the diver, by which he signalizes
those above water. One pull is the signal to
be taken up, two pulls for less air, and three
pulls for more air. The work which the diver
can perform is quite limited, but it is done with
considerable celerity.--Nesc York Tribune