New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

nersons safely housed on land may imagine
There are times, too. when vessels go to the
bottom through no agency OF the winds Fog.
hidden rocks or bars. miscalculation OF bearings,
collisions and other perils Of the deep are ac-
equitable for many misfortunes 10 ocean
travellers are boisterous gales
OF recent years there has been no wreck On
or near American shores that has not been visit
ed by wreckng tugs, and if there was possibility
Of saving the vessel everything was done to ex.
trlcate her from her precarous position There
is no great danger connected with the Work OF
these wrecking tugs but there is much OF In
terest about it. 1t is through their efforts
that several of the large steamers OF the worlds
fleet have been rescued from destruction. Inc
case of the American Liner St. Paul. which lost
her bearings and went ashore on the Jersey
Coast is of sufficiently recent date to be recalled
by every one The big vessel was not FAR from
being high and dry on the sand. where she was
deposited by an exceptionally high tide. and
was later driven further up by the waves. She
was stranded there for two weeks before she
was finally pulled off without damage to bolt
or spar.
An older case of a big vessel being saved was
that Of the German ship Markomana. when
went ashore on the coast of the United states
Of Colombia a weeks time was expended IN
boiling a new rudder to her Keel under "dIei,
and eight months passed before ,ne o'S ri f" ~
successful were the efforts made 10 save ttis
French ship Amerique. which went ashore WITHIN
800 yards of the spot where the MarNoi nHe.
had been stranded, at the mouth or the MaSue
lena River. 1t nineteen years ago tnat me
vessel went the bottom. and for ninety-seyen
days everything possible was zone 10 &c, NJ.
off but without success. To-day her skeleton
lies there sad reminder of tie fate that befaliS
many good ship that sails the sea -, .A
NAy IQrh
steamers Ailsa and Avena, of the unfortunate
Atlas Line. Both vessels went down AFTER
collision one in the Narrows and the other OIL
Sandy Hook. Several attempts were made Dy
wrecking companies to raise the Ailsa, but she
has been abandoned as has the Alvena. Iney
must now he blown up by the GoVernmenI, 70
clear the navigabe paths of the harbor. Tnen
there we're the three masted ship j. Is. walker,
which went ashore on Bedlows lsiand' ths
George w Clyde sunk in Gravesend bay. ana
La Champagne, which went ashore IN 1914 near
Fort Hamilton. all of which. and many more be-
sides. were saved by wrecking companies
There are of these companies in New
York City which lead the world in their methods
and capacity. one of these has fleet or three
steamers and ten derrcks constantly on duty
The other works without the derricks, having
but three steamers in commission. steam Is
kent up on these wrecking tugs night and Gay,
and they can leave their piers on fifteen minutes
notice. And they often leave for trips OF many
thousands of miles going 10 the Bermudas or
West Indies. and even to the South American
coast I'm their rescue work
The tugs that do this work are provided Win
every marine implement that could prove or use
in hoisting. pulling and hauling, and the num-
bred and one other strains 10 which they are
subjected Not the least important of this ecu p
ment are the divers and their diving suits. The 70
Is the pioneer work in nearly all cases OF wreck
saving These submarine laborers go 10 the bot
tom of the distressed vessel and ascertain what
sort of ground she is lying on. whether her keel
has been damaged and, in general, what prep
arations are necessary for raising the vessel.
on ordinary occasions. and in depth OF water
not exceeding 20 or 100 feet. these divers can
remain under water for four hours. II is proDa-
bile that before long the means Of communicate
ing between the diver and his assistants on the
tugs deck will be greatly improved. His sole
dependence now for letting those assistants
know whether he needs more or less air pumped
down TO him. and whether he wants 10 come 10
the surface is the life line. BY prearranged sig
nails on this line he communicates his desires 70