The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1865-08-14


now ON board-EHects Of the ex-
piosion-Ultimate end, &C.. &C.
The q. 8. Frigate Congress was success
fully raised on Saturday af ernoon last, and
was towed up to Norfolk yesterday Sunday
morning. The wreck was kept afoat by the
constant application of four steam pumps,
with capacity, in the aggregate, Of twenty
three thousand gallons per minute. After
reaching the harbor, she grounded on the fats
between here and Portsmouth, where, at this
writing, she now lies. She was visited DUR
ing the day by hundreds of persons, who
manifested the liveliest interest in all the
particulars Of her removal and condition.
She was towed up by aeet Of tugs, among
which we noticed the United States Steamer
Jean Sands, commanded by Capt. q. p.
Hathaway, and the tags Poppy, Dictator,
Francis King, Chowan, Louis, Chesapeake,
and Erie. They presented a grand appear
ance as they steamed up the harbor, and at
tracsed much interest and attention.
The contractors, Messrs. Brown, Underdewn
& Co.,, commenced operations about the mid
Gle Of May last, but SO many and great were
the difficulties and go immense the UNDER
taking, that their efforts were not crowned
with complete success, until Saturday even
ing last They succeeded in raising her four
several times, but on three occasions had to
let her sink again, because of some derange-
ment of the machinery, or breakage of the
huge pumps by the use of which she had been
foated. The third time she was raised, they
succeeded in keeping her adoat seven hours,
but even then, when they begun to hope that
their efforts were successful, something gave
way, and she again returned to the mud
which for over three years she had made he
bed. The upper part of the stern was raised
last November by this same enterprising firm
who had it towed up to the Navy Yard, wher'
it was cut up and six or seven thousand dol
lars worth of copper and other material re
covered. and it is supposed that this por
ton of the ship, being the principal portion
will yield thirty to fifty thousand dollars more
Her appearance is as uninviting as can vel
BE- imagined; the whole of her spar decl
ia burned off and her gun deck nearly des,
trcyed the upper part of the stern Of tn
ship, from about ten feet abaft Of her main
mast. was blown off when the magazine ex
ploded, but her keel, and portion of tn
timbers connected with it, now remain, am
of course submerged. To enable the enter
prisinr contractors to raise her bulk-hea'
was put in by Messrs L. P. Wyman and Johl
Green, professional divsrs, who we're engage
several months in the huge undertaking
Inthe body or "hols" of this ship are hun
dreds OF bushels of oysters, sticking to tn
wood, the iron, the guns, and anything els
they could and to attach themselves TO; i
addition to the oysters, large numbers
crabs and fish had taken up their quarters
the "hoe," and he'd toasted upon the bodie
of the gallant men who fell at their post
waen she fought Der last fight The bones
a number Of men lie scattered around, mike
in inextricabls confusion with shot, shell
IRON bolts, guns, and other warlike insfu
lnents. VIII CHI lie around in the mud-sa
relics of the once noble ship, and mourn1u
evidence of the terrible struggle, in which sh
vas engage on the day of the disaster.
Numerous re les have been taken from he
u o0g wiisb.is set of ID, found in a DO
Or beard Numerous foreign and domesti
coins have been found, and several navy siz
Colt pistols, in a damaged condition. nav
hsen recovered.
A number of water tanks are still in hel
aud the toward magazine is supposed to {
intact, as only The magazine in the aft part {
the ship VAS blown up. Besides these, Their
is supposed TO be large quantity OF nav
stores and supplies still on board, and 1t is
little singular, that out OF several rolls
duck canvas taken from her, the larger por
ton was 10 good condition. We observe
another singular fact, some Of the guns wer