The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-27
THE sUNKEN VANGUARD.
AN EFFORT TO REPLACE HER IN TIE
BATTLE-LlNE OF THE BRITISH NAVY.
PREPARATORY YORK.

PREPt RAIURT WORk.
From the London Daily Telegraph, Sept. / o.
We published yesterday the most import
ant opinion. which has yet appeared on the
subject OF recovering the lost Vanguard, 10
the form Of letter from tho we'll known SUBJ
marine engineers Messrs. Siebe and German.
These gentlemen agree with all that we have
reccntly stated rs 10 the possibility OF raising
the foundered iron-clad, and pronounce it
task difficult but in no sense impossible.
Whether, therefore, the Lords OF the Adj
miralty, as reported, have determined TO put
of all attempts to lift the ship till the spring,
or whether Captain Bate. with his crew OF
rggers and divers from Davenport, will do
something more than merely clear the wreck
during the present favorable weather. e GER.
taiDly offer distinct protest against operating
upon the Sunken man-ofwar by employing
explosives. Ii she can be lifted she ought
to be lifted, and the Effort, we say, must be
made, sooner or later, for the honor OF the fig
which she bore when she went down. Even
with reference 10 the cou-t.marlial about TO
be held, the one witness we most want a6 ove
water Is the Vanguard. She and she alone
eau surely tell us whether the bu!kheads
were closed, and all was performed at the
last moment which duty and seainanship
prescribed; and if she should give her dumb
evidence after the findirg It will still be full
OF interest to the navy and naval science.
The points upon which the public may well
be glad TO have the experienced Judgment Of
these submarine engineers are the position Of
the vessel aud the possibilities of working
upon her. MIR. Henry Siebe Is the author of
an extremely interesting volume entitled
1.-The Conquest Of the Sea-" and bis firm
have invented and patented the dress DOW
almost universally employed 10 the wonder.
iu things daily done in the wa:ery world.
TUE SHIP CAN BE RAISED.
It is. therefore, Of national interest to bear
from so high an authority that the Vanguard
does not lie out of reach Of easy Efforts, and
that as matter Of scientific fact this noble
fighting ship can almost certainly be re-
placed in the bat,le.line Of the British navy.
In these matters everything depends upon
divers. 4 vessel sunk beyond the reach of
those skilful and bold searchers Of the deep
is gone beyond recovery. Now, the Van.
gusrd lies upon bed Of hard white sand in
ABOUT nineteen fathoms and half Of water,
and the depth TO which the Admiralty
divers are wont to descend is twenty ia.
thoms. But MeSsrs. Siebe and German inform
US that companies Of men able and willing to
90 down and work at twenty-five rathoms can
always be provided; and in the volume
" ico ne have ramed, ms ances are given of
divers attaiuing w enty EIGHT and even thirty.
four r.thoms. Hooper, a Liverp 'ol profess
Sioual, searched sunken vessel in PIct-
daugue bay, near Valparaiso, at the litter
depth-two huDdred and four feet bat this
is the very deepest level ever searched. At
this point the pressure of the condensed
water upon each square inch of the frame
amounts TO eighty eight and Il bali pounds;
and il il the a>certsned limit, for the pres
cnt, at least, Of what man can resist. Now,
divers have already been down 10 the keel OF
our sunken man.ot.war. and have actually
measured her wound. She lies on firm and
lean blttem, where she can be readily pre-
vented from sitting up with sand and when
her gear and guns have been removed there
Is nothing whatever but the weather which
will stand in the way of an effort to lalse and
repair her.
EFFORTS TO RAISE THE SHIP.
from the Daily News, September IL, 1851
Captain Bait and large staff Of divers
from Deyonport dockyard arrived at tie
scene of the wreck of the Vanguard at &
this morning. The steamtug in which they
them close I'D 10 the wreck, between it and
the stean-tender sOrwcll, and leaving still
further north the Irish Lights Commission
crs' ighlship. Thus they stand ut present:
the suEken vessel on the south; next, and
quite adjIcent, the Plymouth lighters; to
northward OF these, at short distance, the
Orwell gunboat, aud on the extreme north
the llghtShip. A signal gun has been esla"-
li>hed on board the latter 10 signal in case Of
ious. In addition to the Government stati Of
divers aud appliances, under the command
of staff Captain Bait, small staff has 5een
sent over by private irm-fve DIVERS and
attendauts-With submarine lamps, air
pumps, and other diving gear, from the
establishment Of Messrs. DenayrouZe Il Co.,
submarine engineers, LHrdon and ParlS.
They were landed at kiDgstown by the quar-
ter 10 I A. NJ. Holyhead mail.steamer, and
were Immediately aitsrward conveyed to the
Vanguard by the Amelia, which lett hlnSS-
town about 10 O'Clock this morning. The
divers from MesSrs. Denayrouze's establish
meEt carry with them peculiar klud OF
submarine lamp patented by the firm.
The chief distinguishing advantages claimed
for it by its inventor ale that it eau te light.
cd under water, and lis light may be relied
on for continuance. The specimens brought
for use are of the ordinary size, but the glass
appears TO be uncomnoDly strong. BY
means of an air.tube communicating from
each lamp to the surface constant supply
of oxygen may be kept up. The ignitins in
immersion is managed by an Ingenious con-
triyance for suLjactiug a quantity of phos..
phorous in the lamp TO sharp friction, aod
thereby generating flame. The total mum.
Der of divers and attendants is nearly one
hundred. The divers went down twice to.
day, early in The morning and aguin in the
afternoon. They succeeded in bringing up
cross-yard and some pieces of rope, with
some portions of the mantopsail and OF
other sails, some blocks, and necklace be-
longing TO the mainmast.
The BelsefOntatne Trascdy-A "tfe'S