Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-23
CONTRACT WITH wRECKING COM.
.PANIEs HAS BEEN SIGNED.
WORK TO BEGIN WITHIN A WEEK
SECRETARY LONG INSISTS on THE
GREATEST POSSIBLE HASTE.
Companies Are to Receive $I.31l q
Day and il They Succeed In Tow
ing the Mnine to New
York n BOnus of
$iOO,OOO.

Washington Feb 2o-The plans Of the
wreckinE expedition for the relief of the
Maine were completed to-day, after long
conferences between Secretary Long and
the representatives of the Merritt & Chap
man Company of New York. and the Bos-
ton Towboat Company. The companies had
expected TO begin work in Havana harbor
in about week, but at the last moment
Secretary Long insisted that provision
should be made for sending forward at
once at least one large wrecking boat. with
divers and equipment. This was agreed TO,
and dispatch was sent to the captain of
the sea wrecker, Right Arm, now at Key
West, to suspend her private work there
and proceed at once to Havana. If the
Right Arm has started north. torpedo
boat will be sent after her, with orders to
proceed to Havana. At the same time, a
dispatch was sent to the New York offices
of the company to send two of the most
experienced divers by train to Key West,
whence they will go to Havana and join
the divers and wreckers on the Right Arm.
The commander of the Right Arm is Or
dered to place himself with his divers and
machinery under the orders of Captain
Sigsbee who thus will be free to avail him.
self of their services in the recovery of
bodies or any particularly desirable piece
of equipment or property before the regu-
lar wrecking operations begin. Those are
emergency steps which precede the main
wrecking expedition, which will be outfitted
at Boston. New York and Norfolk. with a
view to beginning extensive operations
within a week
The terms of the contract, concluded and
signed to-day. provide for the payment to
the wrecking companies the sum of SSH
per day for their regular plant. and an ad-
ditional payment of $500 per day for the use
OF the Monarch while the latter is actually
employed. An express provision Is made
that the government may terminate the
contract at any moment. 1t is also provid-
ed that the compensation shall not exceed
the sum Of money (s200,0OW appropriated
by congress for this purpose In the joint
resolution passed yesterday. Finally, it is
provided that, II the companies succeed in
raising the Maine and towing her to New
York, they shall receive bonus of 100000
In view of the large first cost of the
Maine. about $5,0Co,O00 and the national
desire that she shall be, raised. as evil
denced by the prompt and unanimous ac-
| tion OF congress upon the joint resolution,
Secretary Long believes that he is fully
justified In making the above terms with
| the wreckers, though at first thought the
per diem compensation seems large. 1t
| must be borne in mind, however, he said
| to-day, that this will constitute the largest
| wrecking expedition ever equipped in this
country. Moreover, the wreckers expressed
a willingness to go to work In the usual
y
| to do the wrecking and then take the
| award of board of arbitration. This
@ ernment Which Is COMPELLED mp ein by law to fix
| exact terms in advance.
| A clause of the contract requires the
in a business-iike manner with the work
of wrecking, and though this has added
to the cost of the: work. it is believed to
the early appearance Of Yellow fever at
| Havana harbor with the approach of the
| rainy season next month. s..ecg-
| Captain Humphreys and Mr.. Chapman.
representing the two companies who will
| do the work, explained to the Associated
Press the plans they eil adopt in wrecking
the main expedition will be made up OF
! 100 men. including six skilled divers; the
wrecking steamer Underwater: of Boston,
| of 600 horsepower: the wrecking steamer
John G. Jones, of Norfolk, of similar pow
er; the iron barge, Lone Star, Of Boston.
| capable of carrying 1900 tons; the floating
derrick, Monarch capable of lifting 260
| tons the largest floating derrick in the
country, and another derrick capable of
| The forwarding of the boats, derricks and
men will begin at once. Telegrams We're
ing on Of coal and the assembling of men
| and equipment. The boats are ready to
start at any time, but it will take day
cilities required for this large undertaking.
| The wreckers say it will be impossible to
assemble this material and get into Ha-
| vana harbor ready for work for week.
| They will make every effort. however, to
expedite the work, and on leaving Secre-
| tary Long at ! o'clock they took trains for
| New York and Boston with the determ1na-
| ton of rushing the work:
| Probably Lieutenant COMMANDER Wa1n-
wright, the executive officer of the Maine.
| now in Havana, will be assigned to the
duty Of inspecting the work as It pro-
| ceeds.
The officers of the two wrecking COM
panies to-day said that. after the eXpendi-
| complete inspection Of the wreck would
| be made and the exact line Of work de-
| termined upon. The facilities will be SO
| ample that all of the divers will be able to
wreck Most of the lifting will be done by
| the smaller derrick; which is of sufficient
| capacity for the lighter upper work of the
| Maine, but II will take the moster derrick
| Monarch to lift the huge tnrrets of the
| Maine and the guns mounted within them.
| Captain Humphrey stated that the purpose
| was not to separate the big guns from the
| turretS, but to lift them as whole. Thls
| will be tremendous undertaking. as the
| combined weight of each turret ana gun
| so there is an ample margin of lifting
| power.
| The wreckers were loath to express an
| opinion as to their ability to raise the hull
Humphrey stated that nothing but close
personal inspection would permit de-
| csien on that point. They are hopeful
| however. that the ship can be brought to
the surface. The iron barge lone Star
will he used to receive the turrets, guns
| and wreckage and. as fast as loads are
made. she will be towed to the Norfolk
| navy yard.
BlJSY DAY ON THE WzCAYA.