Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1898-02-25
HOW THE MAINE MUST BE
RAISED.
Such a Gigantic Undertaking
Has Never Before Fallen to
Wrecking Company.


the Government to raise the
Maine were without foundation
eve have made an appllca
tion," said Mr.. Merritt, dixie
other companies, but we have
heard nothing in response.
At the companys officers,
both in Wall street and William
street, preparations had been
made in case the Government
awarded the contract for raising
tie war vessel. The equipment
nearest to the scene of action is
at Norfolk. There the power
full tug Right Arm, under Cap
tain John Magee, Jr-, is ready to
start for Havana. The most
powerful vessel of the fleet is the
I. 7. Merritt, stationed here. She
is in readiness to start at a mo-
ment's notice with a compile
men: of divers and everything
necessary.
l asked Mr.. Merritt what plan
would be pursued to raise the
Maine. He said it would be
impossible to tell anything until
an investigation had been made.
No ship of her size and weight
has vet been lifted from the bot
tom of the sea. 1t was new
case which would require new
remedies.
One of the veteran WreCkt rs
of the company said last even
ing that they had raised the
Names sister ship, the Texas,
but that was a comparatively
easy task, inasmuCh as she had
sunk in her Brooklyn dock, and
there was not enough water to
cover her. The Texas was
raised in twenty-four hours.
The only thing approaching
the case of the Maine" said the
wreCker, "was the British war
ship Howe, which sank in Cadez
harbor. 1t took the Danish
Wrecking Company six months
to raise her. The Howe had
two holes in her bottom. They
pumped her out first.
Il don't suppose anybody
could tell you how the Maine
would be lifted-whether by
pontoons or BY derricks. The
derrick has not the same lifting
power as the poutoon. We have
one derrick with a capacity OF
nearly five hundred tons and
other derricks which together
have capacity of 1900 tons.
For anything heavier than that
pontoons is slower work than
raising by derricks.
"Pontoons are ranged along
side the ship. with chains pass
ing beneath. There are chains
three of which lift two hundred
tons and six which lift four hun
dred tons each. They are of
such dimensions that every
twenty-five feet is equal to
one hundred tons.
The pontoons for this job
would be pneumatic and surface.
The pneumatic pontoons would
be entirely submerged if neces
sl1v, or at any distance from the
surface that might be desired:
If more powers were needed
the pontoons would lie the one
over the other. The chains av-
erage three inches in diameter.
"By erecting a Golfer dam on
the deck of the Maine she could
be pumped out. That would be
an expensive and a long task.
Most ships have been pumped
out after having been raised.
The mere act of pumping would
be comparatively short. 1t
would take considerable time to
get chains around her, but that
is a process which would be
long or short, according to the
tides
HWould you not facilitate
matters, by getting her guns out
frst?" / asked.
"Ah |! that depends on how
the guns are fixed in the turret.
1t might be necessary to cut
away the turrets, and l believe
there are thousands and thous-
ands of rivets in her armor. l
would not like to be one of the