The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-04-25
From the Boston transcript.

Sailing of the Boston Expedition for
Raising the SunIken Fleet at SebaSto-
pol. -
The Boston Submarine Co. have been for
some time past vigorously engaged in push
ing forward their preparations for raising the
sunken ships at Sebastopol, under the ar
rangcment made at St. Petersburg, by Col.
G. w. Lane, and on Saturday the Sd, the
day fixed for sailing, at quarter past five
p. NJ, one of the vessels of the expedition,
the Silver Key, cast home from the wharf
and took her departure for the Black Sea-
She was freighted entirely with machinery
and apparatus adapted to raising ships and
other submarine operations, and is COM
manded by Capt. Joseph e. Currier, well
known as one of our most reliable ship
masters.
The screw steamer General Knox, another
vessel of the expedition, is already in the
Black Sea. Numerous mechanics, and the
best divers in the United States, are now on
their way with several complete sets OF
submarine armor, ample apparatus for blast
ing, and Gwynne pumping engine, capable
when driven to its full capacity, of dschar-
cling one thousand barrels Of crater per minute
By means of this wonderful machine, a
sunken vessel, even in eighty feet of water,
(the deepest part of the harbor of Sebasto-
pol is only sixty-six feet can be pumped
out, filled with air, and thus raised, without
the slightest injury. Upward of thirty large
sunken steamers have been raised by this
admirable process, in the United States,
within two years, and it is noticeable fact
I that in no case has il failed of success. 1t is
not necessary to attempt to make the sunk
en- vessels perfectly tight. Leaks admitting
one thousand gallons per minute, arc of no
consequence, where the engine will discharge
as many barrels in the same time.
In raising the steamer Knickerbocker, in
September last, from the bottom of the Hud-
son river, by this process two air ports, each
ten inches square, were purposcly left open,
in addition to all other leaks, and in just one
hour and fifteen minutes she was afloat,
ready to be towed to New York. This in
Guided all stoppages required to keep her
upright while she rose. The actual working
Tune OF the pump was but twenty minutes.
She was steamer of the largest class, three
hundred feet long and thirty feet beam, and
uii taken hold of by the Boston Submarine
company was regarded as hopeless casc.-
ihese iacts are attested by F. w. Moores OF
the United States Navy, who, with Mr.. Wei.
lington Lee, Chief Engineer of the Company
superintendent the operation,
MIR. Lee, who has probably had moro va.
ried and extensive experience in suhmarir,
engineering than any other person in Amer
lea, will direct the operations at SebastoDol
fitIt is reported that another expedition i
, ting out at Philadelphia, to try the ole
plan, with chains, scows, &c. Should thi
expedition 60, there will probably be worl
= enough for both, as there must be many yes
sells still valuable, which were so shattere
and broken by shot and shell as to be I'm
A: suited to this new method, and cannot b
Il raised except by dead lift. Such case:
t however, have been provided for by the Dos
e ton Submarine Company-they have alread
!; sent out pneumatic and hydrostatic liitin
/ power, equal to two hundred and sixtv-fy
+ tuns dead lift, to be followed, if needed. b
similar lifting power, equal to one thousan
e"HS'