The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15

raising of the vessel would be accom-
plished, but day after dav some defect has
been found, and, of course, it takes time
to remedy mistakes. Yesterday, when
success seemed assured the steel hswsers
parted like packthreads and the work OF
weeks was wasted. The hawsers stood all
the strain the law allows, but then they
were not new hawsers-they had served
their time as cables on the Market-street
cable-road. They stood an enormous
pressure and probably did better than
most steel rope, but when the tide rip
struck the submerged ship, the wrecker
and the tug there was a snap, snap, and
everything was adritt, so to speak. The
Blairmore's nose being out of water and
the stern anchored in the mud she swung
around with the tide and took the scow
Catalina with her. The Whitelaw fol-
lowed suit and the only vessel that held
her ground was the tug Monarch. Cap
tain Dan Thompson heard the first hawser
snap and he Immediately prepared for an
emergency.
His engines were going full speed and
the fremen were shoveing ton of coal
an hour into the furnaces. When the
crash came Captain Thompson was ready
for it and when the Whitelaw went flying
with the food tide his boat held her
ground and attempted to stem the rush
that was carrying the sunken ship with it.
1t was a failure, however, and the result
of Yesterdays disaster will take at least
two days to overcome.
When work on the Blairmore ceased last
Saturday her stern had been raised over
foot and the prospects of making final
success were more than good. as the bow
was heading almost due west and in the
direction OF the mooring off the Union
Iron Works 1t was necessary to raise the
forward part of the ship before she could
be towed into shallow water. Accordingly
100 tons of sand was placed on the stern
of the ship to counteract the effect of the
air in the after hold.
The scheme worked well, and Captain
Burns theory was demonstrated to be
correct. Yesterday morning at 8 o'clock
the Blairmore's forward ports were over
II feet out of water and her capstan was in
full view. Good headway was made, and
the vessel was moved over 100 feet in
short space of time. At the most critical
time the stern sank, and in spite of the
best efforts of the tug and wrecker it
would not move. Captain Burns ordered
all the sand thrown off the stern and it
was done, but still the stern did not come
up. Then came the rip accompanying the
flood tide and parted the hawsers one
after another.
The trouble on the Whitelaw began early
in the morning. At 8 A. NJ the port bit on
the forecastle head was pulled clear out of
it's fastenings. An hour later the big bit
on the main deck on the starboard side
cracked and had to be braced in order to
stand the strain. Fore and aft the wrecker
was put to an enormous and unusual
strain and, barring few discrepancies
mentioned, she came out victorious The
Whitelaw is really only half completed,
and the showing she made is one that Cap
tain Whitelaw should be proud Of
Fully 500 craft of various kinds were out
to see the wreck yesterday There were
rowboats, sailing-boats, steam launches
scows, schooners, tugs and racing gigs.
Many of them were caught in the tide rip,
and in one or two cases there was nearly
a disaster One boat turned over, but
luckily there was only men in 1t and they
escaped with duckihg. A contingent
from the Mexican man-of-war was on the
scene and they assisted in picking up the
men in the overturned boat.
When the Blairmore broke away from
the wrecker Whitelaw Captain Burns
ordered the tug Sea King sent to the scene
at once. Both she ana the Monarch
towed on the sunken ship for an hour, but
making no i'm preston oD her, gave up the
attempt for the day.
I'M II A
has been removed out of the bed she has
made for herself during the past two
months, and is now in a better position
than ever to be raised and repaired.