The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-12-08
'rom "a. Bsoa,s D.msers. erAsss.t Is.
ALIVE YANKEE.

was burned and sunk in Gibralier harbor on
the 23d Of August, 1859. She careened a.
she went down, and laying upon her beams
ends, presented one Of her shafts upwards,
very near the surface oflhe water. This mass
OF iron was 10 inches in diameter, and OF
course offered dangerous obstruction 10
the bay. Tho existence moreover Of 20
vas, body Us the sunken ffigaie at the
bottom OF the harbor in which Tho tides
ebbed and flowed, and strong currents con.
tinually shifted the sand, was not 10 be tol.
Grated in an English port, 50 important 10
the commercial and war marine OF Britain
as was Gibralier. The British government
accordingly presented the case 10 ours at
Washington, and requested US 10 remove
the obstruction. We agreed 10 do 90.
The British secretary, conceiving the
job 10 be very bad one, kindly recon-
mended TO our government as very suitable
engineers Of The work, Messrs. Lovi and
Marshall. These gentlemen had acquired
a great reputation in England by raising the
line-of-baiile ship, the Royal George,
which sunk 80 suddenly at Spilhesd and
carried down with her hundreds and hun
dreds Of men and women. Our navy de-
pariment employed these engineers 10
raise the Missouri. They went 10 Gibraliei,
and worked and strained faithfully, and for
three long years at the noble hulk under
water-and then reported TO the departmer,
at Washington that the Missouri could not
be raised by human means. They aban.
doned the enterprise and returned 10 Eng
land.
The necessities Of The case induced Mr..
Webster 10 take hold Of the matter, and
find 4 man who would free Gibralier har-
Dor Of iha, obstruction. He lighted on
John E. Gowen Of Boston. This gentle
mans documentary title 10 the character
Of q submarine engineer was altogether in
the certificate Of bis birth as Yankee, 10
be found in his fathers family Bible. He
had no parchmenis nor sheep skins, ass
skins, nor other skin diplomas, TO show Mr..
Webeter: but when asked by the secretary
if he could remove The wreck Of the ffigate
a. she lay there In forty-one feet Of waller,
he said he could. When asked II he would
enter into $50, 900 bonds for the PERFORM
ance OF q contract 10 raise her, he said he
would. When asked IL he would bind
himselftc have every stick Of the frigaie
out Of the way within three years, he said
he would bind himself 10 accomplish i,
within six months. Webster had found his
man. A contract was Immediately made.
Mr.. Gowen was already equipped with
his invaluable submarine armor. Tho re-
moving apparatus remained for him 10 con.
siruct. On reaeciing, he decided 10 blow
the frigaio 10 pieces, and liz andremove the
fragments In detail.
The case, on full inquiry and inves,iga.
ton, proved 10 be one Of peculiar difficulty.
The sand had accumulated upon the wreck.
II was fiiteen feet over her. Moreover, the
English engineers had hurt the job, and
made il much more difficult, by using vast
quantities OF powder at random among the
engines and iron work. They had twisted
and tangled up the machinery badly
Above tbs fiieen feet OF accumulated sand,
was depth Of tweniy-six feet Of water 10
work through.
Mr.. Gowen devised metal cases, which
we believe he afterwards patented, TO con.
tain his charges Of powder, and which, Of
course, had 10 be placed under the ffigaie's
bottom, and through that fifteen feet Of sand.
These cases were OF cast iron, six feet long,
and fourteen inches in diameter, and held q
charge ofiwo hundred and iIiy pounds Of
powder. AT tho conical end was a large
thread, like that about a'posi nuger, cast on
the case, and 10 be used in boring into the
sand "a with m auger. This lower end
was cas-, in chill, and was 50 hard and
strong that il stood in ono instance tho Test
of being bored through McAdam street in
Boston, six feet into the earth. Mr.. Gowen
took out with him iweniy-four Of these iron
powder cylinders. He used only twelve OF
Them. They made tooth picks Of tho Mis-.
souri's hull His divers desce nded In
their armor, pointed the cylinders properly,
these were turned by shafts worked from
above, and when arrived under the vessels
bottom, were fired by m electric battery.
The great quantity Of 43, 900 pounds oil
powder was consumed in The work. Ofthis
lull iwo-,hirds were used IN blowing of the
iron centres and arms from the SHAH. She
was side wheel steamer, and had u;on
each ofihe outboard shafts nineiy-six iron
arms, which weighed three hundred and
fhy pounds apiece. To break up this
complicated mass Of powerful iron ~ork,
and reduce Il % - 10 be liftsd, was really,
tho labor our Yankee ocean engineer had
10 do. This part Oh job L ws: that ihe
English engineers had fooled with and tn
jured. But Mr. Gowsn Knocked snait
arms, centres, braces and bolts fign1 rno
isn. down there iory-one feet below bis
hand. and took up and carried sway the
1,ssi stssmer, 10 The utmost stick and the
- x;.ibje spike. Nothing was Ieh for The
..ra "a Jom bar upon, and Ave months
from tho day M. Gow0 began The wotk,
he fully completed and performed NJ con-