The Penn's Grove record., 1886-04-10
DIVERS AT THE WRECK.
n Belief that no Attempt will be
Made to Raise the Oregon.

Mr.. Brown, on the 10Th, conferred
with the Merritt Wrecking Company
relative to the feasibility of raising the
Oregon. Without entering into any
contract with the company they decided
to examine the wreck to see what can
be done toward floating the ship and
raising her cargo. A boat with a diver
went down to the scene of the coils
Ion to make an examination. An at.
tempt will probably be made by the
diver to see if the mail can he secured,
especially the registered packages. AS
to the possibility of raising the Oregon,
a man who has had much experience of
such work said: 81 don't think it will
be undertaken for the reason that it
would require a large outlay, and the
chances of success are very remote.
Could one be certain of fine weather
and a smooth sea, such as we have In
the Upper Bay, it would be possible to
do it; but out thereon the ocean, where
IN the calmest of weather there is O
heavy ocean swell, and where 1t is in.
possible to calculate on the absence of
a strong breeze, OF eve q gale, for the
length of time necessary TO perform the
work, | should slider it an extremely
foolish business to attempt anything of
the kind. The value of the boat is very
great, and that would be a strong in
ducement to any company of men to
undertake the Job. but for myself, 1
would not put a cent in It."
"Will not the company try to Use
hey?'
mo. 1 think not; she is probably
partially insured, and the company will
abandon her to the underwriters"
"And will not the underwriters try it?"
"No, l think they will pay and look
as pleasant as possible under the cir
cumstances. Ii, however, the Coast
Wrecking Company thought fit to
undertake the Job, l have no doubt
either the company or underwriters,
or both, would guarantee them full 70
per cent. Of the value of all they could
recover"
"Would 1t be possible for O diver to
go down and recover the mail?'
81 hardly think 80. Ii the bags were
Immediately on her deck it might be
done, but no diver could, in that DEPTH
of water, go into the interior of the
vessel and get the bags from the mail
room"
CHOW are the sunken vessels usually
raised?"
"Chains are passed underneath them,
the ends carried to p~ontoons on either
side and then, with an ebbing tide,
the CHAINS are hauled taut, all the strain
possible being put on them by by
draulic pressure. Then, when the tide
raises the pontoons, the vessel is lifted
a bit from the bottom, and the pontoons
and their load are lowed into shoaler
water, until at top of high water they
again ground. This process is o n
stantly repeated, with each tide the
wreck being taken into shallower and
shallower water, until finally the decks
appear above the surface, then the
wound in the hull. whatever it may be,
is made as tight as possible with canvas
and boards or in any other way which
may suggest itself. and powerful steam
pumps are put at work and the boat is
sufficiently hoated to be taken out of
water on a dry dock. But, as you may
Judge, in this case the distance that the
wreck would have to be moved would
be too great for any hope of success.
and l am quite sure no company would
care to attempt it,"