The San Francisco call., 1898-07-26
ROBSON ON THE
 COLON WRECK Believes the Vessel Can
 Be Raised. HIS PLANS FOR THE TASK ENGINEERING FEAT OF GREAT
 MAGNITUDE.
HIS PLANS FOR THE TASK
Many Difficulties to Be Encountered, but the Intrepid Officer Says They Can All Be Sur
 mounted.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, July 25.-Lieutenant Richmond P. Hobson returned to the city to-day, after the second visit to Washington since his landing from the St. Paul here on Friday morning. While in Washington he again conferred with Secretary Long concerning the saving of the Cristobal Colon. Upon his re- turn to this city he went to the office of the Merritt & Chapman Wrecking and Derrick Company to complete the preparations for fighting and preserv- ing the Colon.
 Lieutenant Hobson announced later in the day that the Merritt & Chapman Wrecking and Derrick Company had consented to undertake the recovery of the Cristobal Colon, and was making every effort to begin the work as soon as possible.
 "The difficulty of saving the Colon" he said flies in the complete submerg- ence, upon her beam end, of a steamer of 1000 tons. Only short portion of her stern is clear of the water, which fills her whole interior Her sea valves and her sides are in a few places per forated by shells The beach upon which she lies is exceedingly shelving, forming a part, in fact, of the noun tain which there rises out of the sea. In short, all the conditions are present which render the fighting and raising of the ship an engineering feat of large proportions. At the same time, it Is simple and quite feasible. No new ap- pliances are needed, nothing to be in- vented; it is simply a question of get ting to the spot In time with the ac- cepted means and methods on suf- ficient scale"
 As to the plan for raising the Colon Lieutenant Hobson said: we will run the pontoons alongside of the Co., lon submerge them, and after chains under the bottom of the ship have been fastened to the pontoons and frightened the pontoons will be pumped out. At the same time, we will use air pumps in trying to force the water out of her air chambers and water-tight com partments. If many of those compart- ments are found to be in good condi- tion, this combined force from the out side and the inside will be sufficient to raise the Colon several feet. If they are not sufficient, then air bags will be put in her hold and inflated by com pressed air.
 Every time the ship is raised a few feet from the bottom she will be lowed farther in shore. so that after several easy stages SHG VIII De llSn GHOQSu out of the water to make all the necessary repairs It is thought that her hull Is not in a leaky condition, but that it was the opening of the sea valves by the Spaniards which sank the ship after they saw it was impossible to get away. If that Is found to be the case the Colon may quickly be lowed to a drydock In this country for permanent overhauling.
 T think 1t will be fully two weeks before the work of raising the Colon can begin. As to when it can be fin- ished will depend largely upon the smoothness of the water. Pontoons cannot be worked in rough water For tunately for us. the weather has been propitious for us so far"
 Lieutenant Hobson went over to Glen Ridge. N. J.. this afternoon and lunched with Mrs. Sampson. wife of Rear Admiral Sampson.