New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-06
WreckIuR fhc Aii>c.

Six months ago :ha ship Ai.sa vas :a:neG
and SUNK .: the head .: Washington stree:
with owe. 5000 bales c: cotton uI board
After many hard days woci: and :.u.:.ess
attempts 20 :aise aer. cargo saG al. she
rolled over Oh her 0ean ends as :: Ge.e.
mined to lay ne: :!meiono:eG :!r. te:s al
the bottom OF ne Mississippi.
The A.iss was built 4: Quebec in 1851;
had carried Ge.: .nougi: ::"m :hat for: &c
Liverpool! 20 maze :: piaIi :oaI :he whole
way: had carried barrels o. money; was n
debt to no one. .nd could easily be spared
After it was :oucd impossible 20 .a;se
the ship. the New Orleans Wveckin Com
Danr, andes :he supervision o: ITS p.esi.
dene, Captain G:een!ea: Andrews. con.
tracted to save via: :o::oE :.e could. and
after waiting unit: 'hc ::ye- fell. H.oUga:
his wreckirg boats. :he Usage and T:s::s
Wright. owe: lie hu!i and CONNIE nc Ct;
operations. 4: re start !: was Gisccu-ag.
ing. The veteran s:eye.iore. Joseph Coop.
er. had done some o: his bss. wo-i: IL the
hold Q: :he A.isa, :hat. added 20 the
swell Of the cotton. made !: sometimes
halt days work 20 move single bale.
And as the ship gradually caveenei over i
became impossible g ge! ::e cc:toc OF: Of
:he hatches. SO powder vas brougil: :n.o
re!uisItioE and blasting commenced a. Tie
stern.
Up 70 Frica: morning Captain Andre ws
had made :i:ty.:wo blasts and lad blown
the whole side of the ship Of! as far forward
as the main Iuas.. and had saved .0G0 bales
OF cotton. which have been sold IL sjj3 600.
The larges: days work done was s:x:v.s,:
bales, the smallest four.
The expense attendan: uror ggeck:t:. is
no small item. 1t is necessary 70 have :wo
good-sized steamboats, with large amount
OF machinery. if not ali in use constantly.
to be cared for. IN addition 20 twenty men.
There are :wo divers employed "A: large
salary. Ii :act. :he running expenses
amount 20 500 per day. Tic wear and
tear is very heavy. and al! articles pertain.
ing to wrecking are mos: expensive. 4
divers suit costs $50. Four suits vii! be
worn OH: on this wreck. Electric batteries
cost 500 each. Three have already been
used. Tie hose through which air Is
pumped to she divers cos: 81 per
foot. From, eco 20 800 fee. will DC
used up. All the hosting, pumping
air. hauling boats. etc. is done by steam.
wa!cl: soon suns up a large Goa. bill. AZ.
ready $4,000 has been laid OUT. and at
least ano!he. u onth's work remains 10 be
performed.
Some Of the bales tina: have lain exposed
under water for some time have the bagging
al: eaten OFT Of them by the shrimps. and
the divers. wh;is Inder water. are obliget:
to keep their hands IN motion al! the time
70 keep she sa::mps from nibbling them:
as .J ;s. they have eaten the hair of: :rom
the backs Of s:le:r hands. The wreciing
boats lieo wheS blasting. within forty feet
of the wreck. and sustain no damage. a:
though twenty-five pounds Of powder IS
used at each blast.
Captain Andrews thinks that IN :h:rtv
days he viii have saved anotnes thousand
bales Of cotton, and finished tie work of
saving the cargo and demo.isiing sic hui:
OF the Ailsa, so that ships of any <;ra!: Of
water Gan pass over her with safet-o