Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-24
DESTROYING WRECKS.
THE WORK OF THE YANTlC IN RE-
MOVING DISTRACTIONS

schSp GhSb Obe oI Nntcu WAS Dan
Eerous Menace to Navigation Along the
COsst-Dangers of the Work.
Few people, outside of those who navi-
gate the waters along the north Atlantic
coast and the marine insurance people, ap-
preciate the value of the employment in
which the sloop-ofwar Yantic has been
engaged, destroying the sunken wrecks
which for long time have menaced the
safety of steam and sail vessels. And few
people other than the officers and men
who have been engaged in this work know
the difficulties and dangers which these
people encountered in finding the wrecks
and destroying them with the powerful
agencies of gunpowder gun cotton and
dynamite.
In the four months which the Yantic
was employed in the destructive work she
blew up and destroyed eleven sunken
wrecked vessels, the benefit from which
cannot be measured by the cost of the la
Dor and the use of materials in accomplish
ing it. Most of the wrecks were found
lying on the bottom of the ocean, with
from ten to twenty fathoms of water over
them, and they were nearly all large iron
vessels, with their masts and rigging stand
afloat.
Upon finding the wreck the officers had
to watch the opportunity of good weather
to remove it, and even when the sea was
comparatively smooth the natural swell
made the work dangerous, especially when
the eyes of the rigging or the top of the
lower masts were below the surface of the
water. The first thing necessary was to
cut the rigging, for even if the masts them
selves were blown out of the step, the rig
ging on cit her side would hold it upright
Lieutenants Richman, Mertz and Rose
had direct supervision of the processes of
destruction, and it was of that dangerous
character as to make it necessary that each
should take part in the muscular work to
encourage the men under them.
HOW WRECKS ARE DESTROYED
As an illustration, the iron vessel Har-
Rreaves, of more than 5000 tons displace-
ment, was found with the top of her lower
mast, spar thirty-two inches in diameter,
a few feet above the water Her wire
rigging was from four to five inches in
Lieutenant Richman, with a boats crew,
went from the ship to the wreck, and |
while two men held the boat up to the |
mast, others with axes began to cut away
the rigging The swell was a light one.
but sufficient to lift the boat up and down,
30 that at the second blow with the ak it
cut into the rigging four feet above the
first blow. But after a couple of days
cutting and hacking away the rigging fell
over on each side of the wreck to the bot.
tom of the ocean.
To complete the destruction a torpedo |
was made fast to one of the hoops around |
the mast, and by this was lowered to its |
foot, in position to demolish the deck and |
to blow the mast out. Then the boat was
hauled off 500 feet, the electric battery was
touched, and terrific upheaval of the |
water showed that the torpedo had done
its work
The wreck of the Viscaya gave much
trouble to the Yantic people because the |
top of the lower mast was so far below the /
surface of the water Lieutenant Rose had
charge of this. He successfully planted a
torpedo at the foot of the mast, but not
without many vexatious attempts, aud
found, after blowing the lower mast out of
its step, that the great spar simply leaned
over to one side, the rigging holding it in
that position Later he was successful in
cutting the mast at the eyes of the rigging,
and the obstruction was thus destroyed.
UTILIZING A WRECK.
An amusing incident occurred at the de-
struction of another wreck, the hull of
which was far below the depth that the
keel of the largest vessel would go. A gar
land of the explosive compound encircled
the mast near the deck of the sunken ship,
and when the battery was fired the mast
stood so long that Lieutenant Kelly re-
marked, well, the attempt has failedp'
But he had hardly uttered the words be-
fore the mast fell over and sunk to the
bottom. The mast had been cut so per-
fectly at its circumference that it stood for
several seconds until the swell of the ocean
disturbed its equilibrium, and then it went
over
One of the sunken wrecks is now doing
duty at Wachpweague inlet, on the Vir- |
ginia coast, as danger buoy. 1t is large
iron vessel which would be dangerous to |
navigation unless entirely removed, and as
it does not materially contract the navig- |
able waters Lieutenant Richman concluded /
that it would make a first class danger /
buoy, and mariners have declared it to be /
the best and most useful one on the coast.
He cut the top of the mast off, leaving sew |
eral feet standing above water, upon which |
he painted black and white stripes al |
These special instances noted will give
general idea of what has been successfully |
accomplished by a naval vessel that has |
been declared obsolete, and by officers who, |
it is thought by some, have very easy and |
enjoyable life away from their homes and |
families, living on sailed and canned meats, |
and canned and desiccated vegetables
New York Tribune.
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