The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-13

iesciuay Al an early hour o number Of gentlemen
proceeded IN the steamer Philip to the wreck OF the
iron steamship Scotland which lies In thirty feet Of
water at distance OF two and one-half miles In q
southeastery direction from Sandy Hook lighthouse
The Scotland It Will be recollected, coided of
rire isanu on tne z'th or November 1866, with o
ship heavily loaded, and was SO seriously injured
that It was deemed necessary by her commander IN
turn her landward and II possible make the shore
before she sank with her cargo consisting of cotton
and cereals, to the loss OF BOTH She, however
became water logged by the head. and
when at distance of some two miles from the near
est point of land sunk in five fathoms, on what ia
technically known as the outer Middle shoal, which
is three-quarters Of mile from the south (main)
channel and. it may be added, almost In the path
OF vessels coming in from the southwark. The Scot
land was vessel Of twenty-five hundred tons bur-
den and upwards Of three hundred feet In length.
Her crushed hull now lies athwart q common
channel and the consequence has been that no less
than four vessels have been wrecked WHILE ignorant
OF her position crossing 1t.
Since the disaster to the Scotland several attempts
have been made to break up her hull and the cargo,
or SO much OF 1t as could be saved, landed.
wrecker undertook to remove both on salvage Of
one-fourth, but finding he could make nothing by
Misrepresentation abandoned the undertaking to
other, who was offered Onehaf b. the underwriters
OF whatever was saved This plan also was given
up; and next the offer was made to Captain Samuels
q well known navigator to clear the cargo and
wreck from the shoal at dividend OF seventy-fve
Meantime the tide is washing the sand over the
hulk, and there Is serious danger Of bar being
formed on the shOal. SO thoroughly alarmed was
the government on this last point that appointed
board of engineers to examine into the condition
OF the wreck and estimate the cost OF It's removal
This commission reported that the hull must be re-
moved soon possible, and that the cost of re-
storing the shoa to it's original depth-twenty-two
and one half feet at low tidewoud be not less than
quarter OF million OF dollars. The report was
made known to Congress, and that body with its
dollars to do that which its own servants had de-
cared could not be effected for less than twice and
| Some four weeks since Captain Samuels made an
| experiment on the wreck with new chemical pre-
"patent powder" and which far surpasses ordinary
blasting powder, both In its effectiveness and GER
tanty This powder has been sestea On many coca
tmated to be OF at least eight times the strength OF
| common powder-that Is, surprising grain OF the
latter on combustion would produce eight cubic
| inches OF explosive gas the same weight OF the
former when ignited would produce volume Of gas
equal to sixty-four cubic inches. The first at
although made under Instantaneous cir
About t'He seyenty.ave pounds Of the prepare
ton were lowered in o canister into the vessel and
placed in position by an expert IN submarine armor
The charge was fired by electricity, and the volume
Of gas generated was so large that 1t raised the
water several feet in the air and made rent In the
thirty in width in addition to which the decks were
raised some inches A ton of powder OF the ordinary
l
Yesterday the experiments were renewed. On the
arrival Of the boat at the scene of the wre por-
ton Of which be seen at low and the Iron rail-
| ing Of the bow at high tide, diver In submarine
garments was lowered to inspect 1t. He re-.
| manned under the surface Of the water about
thirty minutes when he slgnalled to be raised
| to the surface. He reported that the decks were
uRan a s Fifty
OF the new powder were then, in cansters contain
ing about twenty-five pounds In EACH placed where
mo- A a OIL
| nal these were fired almost simultaneously by new
and exceedingly effective electrical portable battery.
| There were few indications Of an explosion when
| the electric fame ignited the first canister; but on
| the firing OF the second there was heard a sullen
4 against a wall of eek followed by the upheaving
\ OF vast bed Of water, which Immediately broke
smooth as il a cargo Of oil had been poured upon It,
the diver on examining the wreck immediately
rent had been made in it, and that IN other respects
the results were truly wonderful Encouraged by
this report, two other canisters together contain
and fired. These were exploded simultaneously,
and the roar and upheaval OF the water Immediately
following was grand almost beyond expression. The
steamboat shortly after turned its head New York
ward, and at a few minutes past SIX O'Clock placed
| the guests OF Captain Samues and the manufac-
turers and agents OF the patent powder on the pier
| from which they were taken in the morning.
1t should not be forgotten that powerful as Is this
new agent for blasting and mining purposes a few
pounds OF II are not sulcent to the growing
obstruction to navigation and restore the ground on
| ments are simply made with view to calculations
as to probable cost and effectiveness; but however
economical may be the estimates, whoever contracts
| with the government to remove the hull and cargo
OF the Inflated Scotland would do well not to make
estimates in competition with those sent to Congress
| based on the reports made by engineers appointed
to examine into the condition Of the vessel by the
Secretary Of tie Treasury.
| When the second combined blast was made yester-
day so powerful was its effect on the cargo that
bales OF cotton were raised bodily from the Depths
These drifted with the tide, on which noated other
l0osened deor1s seward Pieces Of plank were
/ picked up that had been thoroughly hOneycOmbed
| by worms, and vast quantities Of 1sh were 20
stunned by the conclusion that they noated on the
surface OF the water and many Of them were taken
into the boats by the hand alone and shortly AFTER
wards made into excellent chowder.