The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-08-29
How Sunken Ships are Raised.

readers that she can ever be hoated
again; but if she rests upon firm
sandy bottom, without rocks, and the
weather is fair enough for time tc
give the wreckers an opportunity, it is
even probable that she can be brought
into port.
In Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Norfolk and New Orleans,
large firms are established whose spe-
cial business it is to send assistance to
distressed vessels, and to save the
cargo if the vessels themselves cannot
be prevented from becoming total
wrecks; and these firms are known as
wreckers-a name which in the olden
time was given to class Of heartless
men dwelling on the coast who lured
ships ashore by false lights for the
sake of the spoils which the disaster
brought them.
When a vessel is announced to be
ashore or sunk, the owners usually ap-
ply to the wreckers, and make bar
gain with them that they shall receive
a certain proportion Of her value if
they save her, and the wreckers then
proceed-to the scene of the accident,
taking with them powerful tug boats,
large pontoons, immense iron cables,
and massive derrick.
Perhaps. only the topmasts of the
wreck are visible when they reach it;
but even though she is quite out Of
sight, she is not given up if the sea is
calm and the wind favorable. One of
the men puts diving dress over his
suit of heavy fannels. The trousers
and jacket are made Of India rubber
cloth, fitting close to the ankles,
wrists and across the chest, which is
further protected by a breastplate.
A copper helmet with glass face is
used for covering the head, and is
screwed on to the breastplate. One
end of a coil of strong rubber tubing
is attached to the back of the helmet,
to the outside of which running
cord is also attached and continued
down the side of the dress to the di-
ver's right hand, where he can use it
for signaling his assistants when he is
beneath the surface. His boots have
leaden soles weighing about twenty
eight pounds; and as this, with the
helmet, is insufficient to allow him to
descend, four blocks of lead, weighing
fifty pounds, are slung over his shoul-
ders, and waterproof bag containing
a hammer, chisel, and dirk-knife
is fastened over his breast.
He is transferred from the steamer
that has brought him from the city to
a small boat, which is rowed to spot
over the wreck, and a short iron lad
der is put over the side, down which
he steps; and when the last rung il
reached he lets go, and the water bub'
bles and sparkles over his head as he
sinks deeper and deeper.
The immersion Of the diver is more
thrilling to a spectator than 1t IS tc
him. The rubber coil attached to hi
helmet at one end is attached at the
other to an air-pump, which sends hin
all the breath he needs, and, if thu
supply is irregular, pull at the core
by his right hand secures it's adjust
ment. He is not timid, and he knows
that the only thing he has to guare
against is nervousness, by which h'
might lose his presence Of mind. Th'
fish dart away from him at motion O.
his hand, and even shark is terrified
by the apparitior of his strange glob
| ular helmet. He is careful not to ap
proach the wreck too suddenly, as th'
tangled rigging and splinters nigh
twist or break the air-pipe and sigma
| line; when his feet touch the bottom
he looks behind, before and above hin
before he advances an inch.
Looming up before him like phan
tom in the foggy light is the ship; ant
now, perhaps, if any Of the crew hav'
gone down with her, the diver feels
momentary horror; but if no one ha
been lost he sets about his work ant
huns cheerful tune.
1t may be that the vessel has settlet
low in the sand, that she is broken IL
two, or that the hole in her bottom
cannot be repaired. But we will sup
pose that the circumstances are favor
able, that the sand is firm and the hui
in an easy position.
The diver signals to be hauled up
makes his report, and in his next de
scent he is accompanied by severa
others, who help him to drag massiv
chains of iron underneath the ship, a
the bow, at the stern and in the mid
die. This is tedious and exhaustinl
operation, which sometimes take
many days, and when it is completed
the pontoons are towed into position
at each side of the ship.
The pontoons, simply described, ar
hollow floats. They are oblong, bull
of wood and possess great buoyancy
Some of them are over 100 feet long
l8 feet wide and IA feet deep, but th'
size and number Of them used depend
on the length of ghe vessel that is tt
be raised. Circular tubes or wells ex
tend through them, and when tht
chains arc secured underneath the
ship the ends are inserted in these
wells by the divers, and drawn W
through them by hydraulic power
The chains thus form series of loops
like the common swing Of the play
ground, in which the ship rests, anc
as they are shortened by being drawn
up through the well, the ship lifts
The ship lifts if all be we'll th'
chains do not part or some other acci
dent occur, but the Wreckers nee(
great patience and sometimes the!
see the labor of weeks undone in
minute.
We arc presupposing success, how
ever, and instead Of sinking or capsiz
ing, the vessel appears above thu
bubbling water and between the pom
toons, which tremble and groan will
her weight.
As soon as her decks are above wa
ter. as much of her cargo is removed
as is necessary to enable the divers t
reach the broken part of the hull
which they patch with boards and can
vas if she is built of wood, or Will
iron plates if she is built Of iron
This is the most important part of tn
divers work, as there are so man.
projections upon which his air-tub
NAV catch: but he finds it almost a