Arkansas intelligencer., 1857-04-24
Raising Of the Ru ssian war Vessels at Sevasto-


| tract TO Raise Sixty-four Vessels of War
Condition Of the Tesseis-M Magnitude Of
| the Uaderfaktng-7He Rebuilding of Sc.
rastopoi dc, dc.
From the Boston Trareler. Ftb %.
| A few years since the combined nations Of
England and France dispatched to the shore
| ofthe Crimea powerful and warlike expedition
to extefmhate and destroy. In a month or
| two an expedition will sail from the shores of
this country for the same destination, but un-
like the expedition first named, its purpose is
to rescue and preserve.
1t has been before briefly stated that Mr.
John E. Gowen, of Boston, had obtained from
the Russian government the contract TO raise
from the waters of the harbor of Sevastopol
the numerous vessels of war which were sunk
there when the allied armies were besiecino
that spot long famous in the history of the
world. The magnitude of this contract has
not been fully understood in this country
Mr.. Gowen has heretofore been favorably
known to the world by his success in raising
the United States steamship Missouri from
the waters of the bay of Gibraltar. a perform
ance which engineers from England and 9th
er countries had attempted in vain 1t hap
pened that while at Gibraltar, a Russian ves-
sci came into the harbor in a damaged con-
dition. To the relief of this vessel Mr.. Cow
en- sent number of his men, refusing any
compensation, and it is probable that this act
of courtesy, with the fame obtained by Mr.
Gowen in the bringing up of the Missouri,
induced the Russian government. at the time
they contemplated raising their fleet to serd
for him, which was done through the Russian
minister in this country.
Mr.. Gowen accordingly went to St. Peters
burg, had number of interviews with the
Grand Duke Constantine, and then proceeded
across The country . Sevastonol Cor the pur-
po7e Of making a personal Investigation oi the
condition of the ships. He was engaged in
this business for several aaonths, having a
Russian steamer at his disposal Here he
descended with his submarine armor to the
bottom of the harbor and examined the sun
ken vessels. He found that the channel of
the harbor was in the middle, with banks up
on both sides, that of the norh being Of sand
and that upon the south of mud.
In the sand there were no worms, in the mud
they were quite plentiful. OF course the YES
sells exposed to the attacks of the worms are
now but of little value; but Unfortunately hap
pens that but a small portion comparatively,
were sunk where they would suffer from the
attacks of these worms.
When the English and French approached
Sevastopol, the Russians, TO protect their har-
bor sunk at the entrance, between forts Alex
ander and Constantine, two of the 100 gun
ships, two of the 8S gun, twotrigates and two
corvettes. The line occupied by these sun
ken vessels was about three quarters of a mile
long, the water beng sixty feet deep. The
vessels sunk here were among the poorest in
the fleet. In the great gale which was so
fatal to the English aud the French vessels in
the Black Sea, this line was SO much disturb
ed that the allies, if they had known it, could
easily have obtained an entrance into the har-
Dor. This caused the Russians to sink Sc
cond line between Fort Michael and Fort
Nicholas, about mile inward When the
Redan was captured by the allies, all the bal
ance Of the fleet was sank, preparatory to
abandoning the place. The following is a
list of the vessels sunk: 5 hne-of-batte ships.
| frigates, corvettes, 10 brgs of war,
schooners of war, 5 tenders, l boom ship. |
ten gun yacht, % tran>porters, Is steamers
, of war, 10 merchant ships. In all LOG YES
sels.
The machinery of the steamers of war, be-
| fore being sunk, was carefully covered with
preparation of tallow to present injury from
the water. They were scutled by boring
three inch auger holes neat the water line,
! and all this was done before the English and
| French appeared before the place, for the
| Russians did not entertain the idea of defend
/ ing it, and one division Of the army had ad-
vanccd nine miles on the Perekop road, when
word was brought that the English and French
/ instead Of entering the city, had halted out
side and were fortfying their position 1t was
/ then that the Russian army returned built
| the earth redoubts, and made that long and
stubborn defence which has rendered the
name of Seyastopol so famous. Thus the
! Russian officials at Sevastopol now tell the
! story. Nj. Gowen examined thirty ships.
| made plan of the harbor and adjacent coun-
| try and returned to st. Petersburg. He
! found that there were no less than thirteen
competitors for the contract from France and
England, among the former being the com
| pany known as the Credit Mobilier. The gov
eminent finally concluded to make the con-
/ tract with Mr. Gowen on the most liberal
terms, which cannot iall, We think, to be amp
| lv re'runerative. The value ofthe ships sunk
is said 10 be sixty-five million dollars, and he
has a certain po. ton oi the value Of each ship
/ raised at the moment it is placed in the hands
of the Russian government.
The expedition which sales from thi. coun-
try will consist Of two vessels, one of which
leaves Philadelphia on or about the lst of April,
and the second soon after. The number of
persons engaged TO accompany it from this
country is about one hundred and fifty, the
well-khown ship builder of this city, S. F.
Holbrook, Esq, being one of the supe:intend-
ents. There will be, also shipbuilders caul-
kers, machinsts, engineers, &c. Some of the
hydraulic machinery for raising the vessels is
of the most colossal description, one cylinder
alone weighing $4,000 lbs; indeed it must
be so, for some of the vessels to be raised are
of 5000 tons burthen. The value of the ma