The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-01

who is superintending the raising OF the
vessel; Captain Burns, who represents
the English underwriters. and Captain
Cav, who represents the owners, are all
working night and day to get the sunken
ship into shallow water. All the masts
have been cut away, but all the yards
have not yet been got from under the YES
sci. The fore main and lower topsail
yards are imprisoned, and every attempt
to release them has failed. Divers have
fast ened cables to them and the wrecker
Whitelaw has used all her powerful ma
ch1nery, but the cables will not stand the
strain.
The wrecker is anchored almost over the
sunken ship and IN order to pull away the
yards she would have to haul the Blair
more on an even keel. A tug will have to
be employed to clear away the wreckage
and tomorrow the Fearless will be put on
the job. Once everything is clear the
work OF raising will begin in earnest.
Captain Burns has conceived novel
plan OF getting the Blairmore on an even
keel. He has built on the bilge what may
be called the side of a house. Small holes
were cut in the hull by workmen from the
Union Union Iron Works and in these the
supports rest. The timbers that hold the
wall In position are also socketed into the
iron side of the ship aud the whole is
braced in the most substantial manner.
Hanging from the apex OF this leaning
wall are about eighteen large iron tanks.
When all is in readiness the idea is to
fill these tanks gradually with water, and
if everything goes as Burns expects the
increasing weight will gradually bring the
Blairmore on an even keel. A tug will
then be in readiness and she will be towed
into shallow water as quickly as possible.
In preparing for the great attempt no
point has been overlooked, and the divers
have been kept constantly employed.
Since the vessel went down she has sunk
considerably into the mud and great
deal of silt has gathered around the hull.
This the divers have been removing, and
IN doing so they have followed novel
plan. Fire hose has been brought into
requlsitlon and big nozzles borrowed from
the Fire Department.
Equipped with these the divers descend
into the bay, and when two of them are in
position the water is turned on. A full
Jet is worked gradually around the hull of
The sunken ship, and in this way the bed
OF mud that surrounds her is being worked
away. All the accunulations in the hold
nave been washed out as lar as possible,
but none OF the bodies came out. They
probably are floating against the upper
pllge. The matches have been put on so
IHa1 tuefe Is no cnance OF Jnelr escaping
now until the hull is raised.
The expenses of raising the Blairmore
have so far been very heavy, and the
chances are that when all accounts are
squared the cost of raising will amount
to more than the value of the vessel. If
all goes we'll she should be on top of the
water again before the end of this week.
Yesterday Captain Whitelaw was busy
at Howard-street wharf loading boilers
and engines aboard lighters. These are to
De used Tor the purpose of driving the
water out of the Blairmore's hull. Ali of
the openings in the wreck have been
Closed, except where check-valves have
been placed.
When air is being pumped into the hulk
the water will escape through these valves.
ne air Will enter through the upper part
OF the hull and the water be forced out
through the lower portion.
10 assist The k-counterbalance built
on the wreck Captain Whitelaw will move
Two heavy lighters above the sunken ship.
These will be provided with powerful
engines that will hoist away on wire
cables attached to the lower masts, or
lower rail of the wreck. When all is ready
the different plants of machinery will be
started, and if the Blairmore is not
whlrled up then a vast amount OF prepa-
ration and large sum of expense will
have been wasted.
With three such experienced wreckers
and shlpmasters as Whitelaw, Burnes and
Cav working over her. the Blairmore can
not remain long under water.