Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-12
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euoiueerinQ in which he had taken
nersoual and prominent part. His ex-
perieuce covered period Of thirty i've
years. The diving apparatus discovered
"a France was much Improved by him,
and he made constant use OF it. About
1913 the United Statexsstearn friRate
Miseouri y o. burned end sunk In the
bert anchors At Gibraltar, and be-
came a serious obstruction 70 nsvics-
Sion, causing the Ioss of several vessels
The British 0ovsxnraent applied 70 soe
United States Government asking 70
have the hull removed. After British
engineer had labored Eve yosrs IN vain
sndsavors 20 remove her, Daniel WEB.
stsr got an appropriation Of ssDuo
through Congress, and gave the con.
tract 70 Colonel G5van. who then had
made several cylinders Of IRON SIX lees
long by eighteen inches IN diameter,
With their lower ends pointed 20 as %
sores into the sandy bottom. These ne
charged with powder end exploded
than BIZ electricity under the vessel
thsu mostly embedded IA the sand: IN
i've months from beginning work he
broke the vessel by explosions AND cofo-
pletely removed every vestiRe OF nsf'
hayina brought her 70 the surface IN
eeotious. He next raised tbs steamer
Erie at Long Point, Lake Erie, and mao
her lahore in three days-in Bunao
Creek. It vas reported that she had
large amount Of treasure on board. DUB
oniy sS73 Wse found. In lS56, while IN
South America, he reosived request
from the Grand Duke Constantine,
through Prince 0ortschakon. that ne
come Immediately 10 st. Petersburg 70
arrange for raising the sunksn hees AZ
Nsyastopol. II no agreement was en-
fered into, his expenses would be paid
mi : hauds0me present would be given
him The Emperor Alexander and
Grand Duke COnss antine were at Mos
COW. whittier he proceeded from 1T. Ps-
tsrsbnrg. After arranging terms ne
procecded to Eiccalis6, from which port
the russian frigats Taman was ordered
20 convey him toSsvasi0poi. tie found
the harbor literally choked cp with
sunken vessels. whose 1asts often ap-
peared jus. above water. b great was
the obstruction tina: they were over two
hours in threading their way through
three-quartsfs of q mile Of wrecks. The
vessels were sunk in outer and inner
lines, and in the outer limo were ten
line Of battle ships. Around all had
been constructed a boom OF spars,
made from tho spare lower yards Of
friQates, 20 bound together with iron
chain cables that the excessive weight
Of iron sunk tho boom. 6eveuty-eight
vessels Of war, some OF which were
steamers, and about sixty merchant
mon. were sunk within the space On
closed by this boom. Many wore the
heaviest line Of battle ships then known.
After Col. 0Owan had matured his
plans be invited Mr.. Bruneil, the con-
otructor Of tho steamship Great Eastern.
10 scrutinizs them. He pronounced
them perfect, assuring him he had
adopted . right principle, which could
deal with great variety Of GASES. lie
made q complete study Of all hydraulic
works at WOolwich, but found that the
excessive weight Of tbs English hydrau-
lilo machinery would not admit OF its
serving his purpose. He returned 81
the United States and prepared -four
oaies0ns Of wood, aud loaded them Ia
pieces ON two ships, taking with them
lk0 American artisans and mechanics
He had to create and especially manu-.
faotuTe almost every variety Of tool used
II this giant undertaking. Tbs British
peom, and especially the London Times
hespcd ridi0ole on the adventurou,
Yankee engineer, Who WAS thus trying
10 do what tho engineers Of Europe had
failed 70 accomplish and pronounced
impossible. rney said Russia had de-
stroysd ono of hsr finest harbors by
sncrihcing hor fleet, and it, use az such
VAS forever gone. Tho more he waa
! 1idiculed the greater were his efforts "a
suocssd. II occupied years timo "a
pat his caissoDs togsther and launch
them ct Hevastopol. lie used those as
a sectional floating dry dock IL used,
He pasasd chains anier the vessels and
~ ths water was pumped ont, raised
them partially and drew them into shall.
lower water. These vessels were i'm.
bsdded in aG feet OF creamy mud, clay,
two feet Of oyster shells, gray clay and
gravel. and rested on solid limestone,
and over all this was constantly 60 foot
Of water. To pass the chains under the
ksels Of these vessels he scraped q ohan-
mel on each side to the level Of tho keel,
BY means Of drcdQsr drawn by heavy
eapstans ON two gunboats stationed for
ths purp No. He first had chain cables
made In Pittsburg. Penn; each link
was three fest long, made Of iron 81 by
* inches, aud tho 1iuks themselves
were two inches vide inside in the clear.
This worked we'll but the excessive
strain stretched these links Of cold iron
TX inches each. He worked them with
toRb0ats and eight aunboats, each with
patent multiplying eapetans and 10
1Athoms VI chain.
Finding his principle was correct, hut
ShAs be- needed more power, no went to
Poland aud purchas0d 10000 feet Of
oak timber. which he had ssansportsd
70 Chssson, on the Dniepsr, and ahspped
thence ~ Ervaxtopol. This oocap.c,l
two yensa. Ia the meantime no orueresl
q cargo Of machinery from England.
Hia nsw cAiAsuns. 10 feat long, u feet
vide By - fee< deep, wefe constructed
By 10 American and 30 Russian car
peuter1, and were in eight oompart.
inenta. Az times he had 100 n,sn an
pl0yed. Tho Russian Governor Gen.
exal, inspired BY the crisiOssms Of for
eign engiueers, expressed grave doubts
ct hia anoceus, but COLONEL 0ovau Was
satisfied TINT he was working unon
opund meehaxicAl p.iaciplss. which
could not fail to work. When ali vns
finally ready, and chains h plaoe unde.
the keel OF each vessel, the Governor
Gsnesal again assured him he never
would sacceed in raising any VI thsss
veesels. he answered. "lsI do not you
take my head on" Col. Gowan then
asked him which he would like 10 &c
raised first. He answered. the Koolev.
chi, . hugo lus Ut battle ship. Col,
Oowan said. Il will have her aloucsids
my wharf tomorrow BY 8 pm" The
Governor looked incrsdulous, bat n z
pm. tho Kooievchi vac sfoat AZ ths
wharf all pumpcd out. The nsxt dav
he raised t0o 6Fst-clkss steam friastess
IN : stmilAr manner. and thcrcsfter
pulled up from three 10 four mcn-of. war
daily. Hp employed sosnc euormous
iron blocks iOi< inches in diauactsy
With oheeves Of 8 inchcs slianssur. Ia
ehees ~ used heavy, tarred eupe, OF the
ordinary twist, not cabls-laid. tina ob.
Sainina Rrsas power In addition 10 the
nsssng p0uer of the csimsoxs os dacks.
The aieAmNr vladimir Vas one OF shs
moot dishealt vesscls 20 raise. OWN, 4,
hor dad weight Of COO pourds. STA
BAD IN GID tCns Of coal. The ut~xusr
O0oAn, . composite iron frame ana
voo0an s1do paddle sloamsr. Ia nnr-
poosly cut b two With psnxshon..r,
chain and doaied her In tvs enuai -.
tione. Tbs Twslve Apossies. ai1s-cnn
ltns-of hattie ahip vs. - fixesi e 49, ~.
dohgis that ~ bad 20 tunnel insa ~
80 boeenm and ran drifts nader
- % aiaR her In chains bsfors rsisinc
~. Oval links are ma snsieisntlx
80 i 81 - chains. He enpleysd