Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-04-16

From ihs Boston Tialictpt of Tuesday1
SAILING OF THE BosfoS EXPEDITION FOR !
RAISING THE SusKEN FLEET 81 SSDAsropoL.-
The Boston Submarine Company have been for
some time past vigorously engaged in pushing
forward their preparations for raising the sunk
en- ships at Sebastopol, under an arrangement
made at st. Petersburg, by Col. @. W, Lane,
and on Saturday last, the day fixed for sailing
at quarter past five, p. NJ, one Of the vessels
Of the expedition, the 'Silver Key cast loose
from the wharf, AID took her departure for the
Black Sea. When fairly under way, she was
greeted with three hearty cheers from large
number of spectators who had assembled on
the wharf TO see her off, which were as heartily
returned by those on board. She is beauti-
full craft, fast sailor, and will undoubtedly
make quick passage. She was freighted en-
tirely with machinery aud apparatus adapted
to raising ships and other submarine operations
and is commanded by Captain Joseph O. Cur
rer, well known as one of our most reliable
ship-masters.
The screw steamer, General Knox, another
vessel of the expedition, is already m the Black
Sea. Numerous mechanics, and the best
divers in the United States, are now on the
way, with several complete sets Of submarine
armor, ample apparatus for blasting, and a
Gwynne Pumping Engine, capable, when driven
to its full capacity, of discharging one thousand
barrels of water per minute. By means OF this
!
eighty feet Of water, (the deepest part of the
harbor Of Sebastopol is only sixty-six feet,) can
| be pumped out, tlled with air, and thus raised,
without the slightest injury. Upwards oil
thirty large sunl1en steamers have been raised
| by this new and admirable process, in the
United States, within the last two years, and il
is noticeable fact that in no case has it failed
Of success. 1t is not necessary TO attempt to
make the sunken vessel perfectly tight. Leaks
admitting one thousand gallons per minute
are ofno consequence, where the engine will
discharge as many barrels in the same time.
In raising tue steamer Knicllerbocker, in
September last, from the bottom ofthe Hud-
son river, by this process, two air ports each
ten inches square, were purposeySleft open,
in addition to all the other leaks, and yet in
just one hour and fifteen minutes she was afoat
ready to be towed to New Yorks This in
cluded all the stoppages required t. keep her
upright, as she rose. The actual working
time of the pump was but twenty Minutes
She was a steamer of the largest class, 300 #
long and 80 feet beam, and till taken hold OF
by the Boston Submarine Comp A4ry s-waS re-
garded as hopeless case. Thes facts are at
tested by +. W. Moore, OF the United States
Navy, who, with Mr.. Wellington LSe, chief en-
gineer OF the company, superintendent the
operation.
Mr.. Lee, who has probably had a more varied
and extensive experience in submarine ell
ShiSStihS lhuu any uLHeT pSTsou Ill AulcrlCa
will direct the operations at Sebastspol, Al
the submerged ships (about one hundred in all
were sunk under the direction of competen
officers, with view to being raised again, ant
probably with their matches and ports closed
they are cases precisely adapted to this ne'
process, the exclusive use of which everywher
(except on the Mississippi and its tributaries
is secured, by patent to the Boston Submarin
Company.
The old mode of raising sunlIen vessel, wa
to lift her with chains and scows, which, be
sides being tedious, uncertain, and very OK
pensive process, has always been open to tn
serious objection, that no precaution can pre-
vent great injury to the hull, by the chain
} cutting and crushing into the wood but till tn
7 recent invention the Gwyne Pumping FL
: CINE, no better method was possible, as n
1 otherpumping apparatus in existence could o.
t pei the water fast enough from q suniten We!
+ sci to overcome all leaks, and admit suti
$ cient quantity Of air to raise her. This methot
= as it can be used by no one else, will nainub
o eddy enable the Boston Company ts'faise ever
3 ship of any value in the harbor Of Sebai topt
n with arapdity, certainty, and cheapness whc
:. will defy competition.