, 1884-10-08
WORKING a WRECK.
The Interesting Process of Blowing 3
sunken Steamer to Pieces.
BreakinE Up the Hu OF the HI
Fated CoIumbus-A Fortune
In Old Junk-Nftro-
GIycerine.

lMsrthss Vineyard Cor. Philadelphia Times.l
Standing among the huge bouldors which
lie s.rewn along the beach under the varie-
gated clay-cliffs OF Gay Head and looking
out upon the heavmg and signing billows
which swell up from the Atlantic, four buoys
may DO seen tossing upon tho ever-moving
surface OF the winters less than a mile dis
tant. An uncouth-looking craft lies at
anchor and two or three small boats are rid
ing the waves near by. On the shore against
the foot Of the cliffs a rude mass covered
with a tarpaulin, attracts attention. A
rough board bearing the legend; Nitro
glycerine, Explosivel Dangeri" tells the
tale OF the work going on in the winter. The
buovs mark the spot where the steamer City
Of Columbus on that cold January night
wont surging upon the reef Of the Devils
Bridge and sent ZIG human beings 10 a grave
beneath the water. The numbering craft,
with It's derrick and tackling, Is the lighter
from which the divers ply their hazardous
work upon the wreck in the depths Of the
waters beneath. Before the wintry blasts
again beat upon this isolated and solitary
promontory nothing will be left to tell the
tale OF that dreadful disaster.
Falling into conversation with a weather
beaten and battered old salt who had just
pulled up on the shore, tho story Of the wreck
since IL first crashed upon the reef was soon
told. After all hope of rescuing at least one
OF the ZIG human beings on board unac-
counted for had been abandoned, the vessel,
which had lodged in the apex OF the reef
which forms an inverted ", the base abutting
on Gay Head, was left to the pitiless waves,
which came roaring in from the ocean Her
iron sides had withstood the pounding Of the
breakers. The cupidity Of fearless men now
came TO account For the small sum of 800
- 1T. - - n.sIl
was bartered off 10 n company of wreckers,
who are now at work blowing the hulk to
pieces and bringing the material 10 the
surface, to be sold for scrap to the rolling
mills or to stock the junk shop.
w expect to clear $4,000 out Of our bar
gain,n said the nmphibious salt. Judging
from the immense torn and ragged sheets of
iron which once formed the sides of the Co
lumbus and are now strown about one Of the
wharves of Vineyard haven on this island to
be shipped away at some convenient oppor-
tunity, the enterprising adventures will not
DO disappointed.
The old salt explained that the piping and
copper and brass had already been taken up
and shipped to Boston, and the sides Of the
vessel had been recovered, leaving nothing
but the bottom and the boilers and engines
TO be lifted. The process of shattering the
compact structure Of the vessel is an EN-
phatic illustration Of the force of modern ex-
plosives. The diver in his armor takes with
him TO the wreck below a Misunderstanding
board, 10 which are fastened two appar-
emily equally harmless cylindrical packages,
about eight inches long and one ard a half
inches in diameter. This board Is placed In
such portion Of the wreck as 1t Is desired to
break away Returning TO the surface q
simple electric wire may be seen leading into
the waves.
When all Is ready a dun sound and a splash
OF waters are heard and in an instant the work
is done. Examination reveals a detached
mas and the c~lanking Of cogs and rachets, the
groaning Of the derrick and the desperate
putting Of the released energy Of steam soon
bring to the surface what might at first be
taken for some Shiny monster OF the deep,
but proves TO be an immense sheet Of riveted
plates Of iron. This Is deposited on the
lighters deck and the operation is repeated
until "A cargo has been raised, and thon away
the craft steams TO the nearest harbor, nearly
twenty miles away.