The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-10-28
Blowing UP of the Ship Niagara.

On Tuesday, about half-past ten o'clock, the
| steam launch of the U. s. corvette Alaska, carried
charged with a hundred pounds Of powder. with
which to blow a hole in the ships hull, 80 as to
/ free her-if possible-of the wheat in her hold
which, decaying, threatens in case of q k0nd or
southerly wind to infect the city with its pesti-
lential odor. The launch, in command of Lieu
tenant-Commander Nelson, reached the wreck, and
soon had the torpedo in position. These torpedoes
are substantially a conical-shaped shell fitted
with a fuse that is ignited by q current of electri-
city. The shell is about two and a half feet in
length, and nearly a foot in diameter, and at its
base is a projection or sleeve by which it is secured
on the end of a long spar. The charge of powder
is so arranged as to present a large surface to the
fuse, and thus ensure the perfect combustion Of
the powder. The spar, with its torpedo head being
secured to the side of the launch. and the dynamo
left the Alaska shortly after ten O'Clock. When
they arrived alongide the Niagara, the officer in
command decided to place the torpedo under the
counter of the vessel, the water there being about
eighteen feet deep. In a short time the proper
tackle and guys having been rugged, the torpedo
was thrust under the Niagara's stern until it was
firmly jammed in the angle formed by the hull,
and the rocks on which it rested. The spar was
then secured in such a manner as to hold the tor
pedo in position, and the wires leading to the fuse
having been attached to those from the dynamo
machine, the launch aud other boats moved off to
@ safe distance, the accumulation of the electric
machine was charged, and at a signal a key was
pressed, and at once a column of water sprang
into the air from beneath the wreck. A mufied
explosion was heard, and the huge hull of the
Niagara was lifted bodily some eighteen inches.
When ii settled back again the boats moved up
and found that some twenty five feet of the keel
had been torn off, and a large hole blown through
the side of the vessel close down to the rocks on
which it rests. The cabin was shattered somewhat,
and the pumps broken. As the wheat in the hold
is packed in bags, and these bags packed into a
homogeneous mass by the action OF the water, the
opening in the hull only serves to permit the sea
water TO enter freely. At 8 pm, another hole was
blown in the bows so as create a current through
the ship but nothing will start the cargo but a
larTa charge. saw a 1000 Lbs of DOWdef confined in
an iron tank and placed inside the ship and fired.
This will tear open the hull and allow the bags Of
wheat to work out. The torpedOes have done all
they can do, but they are not powerful enough to
tear the ship open. As the breeze in the morning,
on Tuesday, was from the south, there was a
strong smell from the decaying wheat and as
some months must elapse before the bags will rot
and allow the contents to escape, means should be
employed to break up the hull and sink the
cargo.
Through the kindness Of acknowledgements
Nelson, U. S. N, we are furnished with the follow
ing particulars of the explosion of the torpedo
under the bows of the Niagara, Tuesday afternoon:
- The torpedo was fixed under the port bow, and
about 5 O'Clock pm. was exploded, blowing a hole,
which, to judge from the debris that came to the
surface, cannot be less than four of five feet in
diameter, the entire bow being shattered under
water. The torpedo was immersed abOut sixteen
feet, resting against the ships bottom. A piece
of the main timbers blown out was picked up, being
about four feet long, and broken off short. The
explosion lifted the forward end of the wreck about
two feet, and Tor q Few moments IL looked az
though the foremost was coming out. The water
now flows freely through the aperture in the bow,
and when the launch left the wreck the wheat was
coming out through the hole made under the port
quarter by the torpedo exploded in the morning.
There is now a free circulation Of water through
the wreck but as the wheat is in bags, which are
perfectly good, it will not be apt to wash out
through these holes for a long time. That which
was seen coming out was in small quantities, and
was probably only some loose stuff lying between
the bags, or, perhaps the contents of a few bags
burst by the swelling of the wheat and the force Of
the explosions.',