The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-12-17

comparison can 20 made between tho
offers from several reliable concerns.
Tho Swedish company. which 80 said 70
be tho most capable ana experienced IN
tho world, now has experts at work On
tho Colon making an investigation into
the difficulties involved IN her salvage.
Divers and engineers have been brought
from Europe especially for tho purpose,
and after satisfying themselves az 70
tho coIon's condition and the expense
that must DO incurred in floating her.
they will 50 to Havana and ezsmlne the
AGainA -,
There IL no doubt in the minds Of naval
oficisis that the report Of thoas experts
viii result in bona nds offer from the
Swedish company. The navy department
has. however. made the rigid rule that no
propostiOn WIN b considered INVOLVING
me government IN any expense until me
vessels are safely delivered tn naval any
dock. on Tho mo cure. no pay pr.nelple.
Ono offer under consideration comes
from some associated engineers in New
York CITY. who have ample capital and
who easily convinced the board Of ths
feasibility Of thar pro3Sct from an en-
gineering point Of view. Their original
terms. which are. however subject 10
modification. contemplated the payment
by the government Of $4,000 cash In the
case OF the Maine and 100000 in the
case OF the Colon. on their delivery at
the New York or The Norfolk navy yard.
In addition TO one third Of the appraised
value Of these vessels on their arrival.
the valuation to be made BY board Of
arbitrators. The uncertainty as to the
precise amount Of remuneration involved
In this proposition is not attractive to
he naval officials who win inslss o.
supuIatlng the exact sum TO bo paid b
the government for salvage before a con-
tract Is signed.
The method Of raising the vessels is 70
be used by the engineers who oppesred
before the board ls extremely simple.
Pneumatic caissons attached to chains.
passed underneath the vessels through
channels OF alternating jets Of water and
compressed air. constitute the lifting
power. These channels will be OF suf-
fielent sizs to enable a diver to pass I'M
der the vessel with messenger lines. As
soon as the chains are hauled through
and made fast to the sides or deck Of
the vessel. the excavations will be nlIed
up by that process BY which they were
made to prevent the vessel from settling.
To effee: the relea-e OF weasel siiu-
ated like the Maine, in tenacious haybor
deposits. jets Of COMPRESSED all win be
SEM along the keel simultaneously with
the introduction OF air into the caissons.
The cassiOns are uniform in size, having
buoying or lifting effort Of thirty tons
each. this constituting CT the system.
the weight OF the vessel and its contents
determining the number required to raise
1t. Their size and weight admit Of these
caissons being easily handled in the water
BY the divers alone and their distribu-
ton. together with the automatic valves
with which they are provided. make It
impossible TO exert uniform force on an
parts OF the vessel. The danger OF rup-
ture from undue pressure due to depth
under water or other causes or the dan
ger OF breaking air hose Is wholly obvi-
sions are arranged in ser es and greater
or less power as circumstances require.
may be exerted at any point The system
is declared to afford complete control Of
the wreck and when the water is expelled
from the ealssons, the vessel is lifted
to the surface in a single operation. It
is asserted that with these eaissons. the
cristobal Colon car be raised and righted
even in sea way. In the case Of the
Maine it is intended to cut away the for
ward portion of the hull, which was de-
stroyed by the explosion and after list
ing the uniniured portion Of the vessel,
to build bulkhead and false bow to the
opening.