Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-29
RAISING A SHIP WITH AIR
Work on the Sunken Steamer
Allegheny.
COMPRESSED AIR DOES 1T ALL
The Vessel Came to the Sur
face Too Rapidly.
Nearly sunk the Pump Plant-A Very
Interesting Salvage Problem Success
fully Solved in Delaware Bny-Any
sunken Vessel, No Matter How Large,
May be Raised.

The British steamship Allegheny,
which was sunk in a collision with the
Belgian steamship Caucase on October
1st,and has since that time been lying. at
the bottom of the Delaware bay, two miles
below Ship John Light, in 4S feet OF
water, is being raised by novel means.
The owners ofthe steamer were anxious
to have her raised before spiing, and
awarded the contract to the American
Salvage Syndicate of New York. They
began work about the middle of October
with the improved system of compressed
air, which is practically being used for
the first time in salt water.
The plant, established on steam
tender, was taken to the spot where the
Allegheny lay, and from that time till
Tuesday week submarine workmen have
been occupied in placing canvas bags of
the best cotton duck in different places
in the steamer. The divers have been
working as steadily as the weather per-
mitted, and on Tuesday week all seemed
ready for the raising.
AIR PUMPED INTO THE BAGS.
The bags were filled with air through
rubber tubes connected with a com.
presser, and at the first attempt the
wreck rose so rapidly that it lifted the
| tender on which the plant was erected
out of the water, and she was only
! saved by letting the air out of the bags
and allowing the wreck to sink back
again. The men are at work again,
having removed the plant further from
the wreck, and another attempt to float
the Allegheny will be made in few
days.
The success of the improved COM
pressed air system in raising the ship is
matter of the greatest interest to men
engaged in maritime affairs. The can
vas bags, when inflated by the air, form
cylinders "a feet long and five feet in
diameter. II is estimated that each bal
will raise 10 tons. After the bags have
been tightly rolled and placed in posi-
ton, rubber hose is connected with the
nozzle in each bag, while the other end,
of the hose are attached to a compressed
air chamber on the deck of the tender
An improved steam air compressel
keeps the chamber supplied, which II
turn, through several outlets, supplies
the bags.
In the case of the Allegheny the OF
! tanks numbered and were utilizet
as bags, and were also filed with air
The work of raising the steamer wa
considerably delayed by second col
lision when the Allan Line steame
Siberian, bound for Glasgow, on 0ctobe
Goth, struck the Allegheny's submerged
: bow.
RUBBER BAGS BLEW UP.
When this system was first tried rub
Der bags were used, and they started
:, wreck nicely, but when the vessel ros
, near the top and the water pressur
! was greatly lessened, the air pressur
extended the bags till they burst, an
the wreck settled back again. By usin
canvas material this difficulty is OF
waited, because the air oozes throug
. the pores of the bag and adjusts itself
= the water pressure. The scientific pla
i, of the compressed air system follows th
. old law of Archimedes, that a sui
. merged body loses in weight an amour
= equal to the water 1t displaces. 1t i
= therefore, only question of the nun
~ Der and size Of the inflated bags to flo;
8 any vessel, no matter how huge may
its proportions,