The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-12
MAGNETS TO LIFT WRECK.
Scheme of the British Government to
Raise Vessels.

New York, Aug Zone of the most
amazing developments in modern cleo
trio science is the proposal made by the
British government TO raise by means
of magnetic force the sunken irOnclad
Victoria, now lying at the bottom of the
Mediterranean sea in 45O feet OF water
and if the Victoria, why not the Maine?
Everyone familiar with naval mat
ters will recall the story of the wreck
of the Victoria. Admiral Sir George
Tyron, who loved nothing so much as
original ideas in maneuvering, had one
faVOrfte evolution of which he never
tired. This simply consisted Of MAX
ing the giant boats perform the fright
abOut-face" after the manner of in
fantry privates on parade. And it was
this little weakness of Sir Georges that
drove the ram of the Camperdown into
the sides of the Victoria and sent $50
men, including Sir George himself, to
the bottom.
All attempts to raise the Victoria. by
means of hydraulic pressure have COM
pletely failed. The boat has been too
far under water for divers to reach her.
The method now under consideration
by the admiralty is as follows:
Above the spot where the Victoria is
known to be will be moored a fleet of
wrecking pOntOons. Monster magnets,
shaped in the form of a horseshoe, will
be let down from the sides of pOntoons
and sunk until the attraction of the
steel sides of the Victoria will draw
them to the ship, to be attached in a
strong embrace by the mysterious force
IQdC every boy mas seen 68GIlGA OIL d
small scale.
On the estimate made by the invent
OrS of the scheme it is believed that the
lifting capacity Of each magnet will
be not less than 100 tons, and as the
weight of the wreck is at least 1000
tons, it is estimated that upwards of
20 magnets will be required. Only
when the magnets have been fixed
can the work of raising the wreck be
begun. Each pOntOOn will be furnished
with hydraulic rams and dynamo ma
chimes. Each lifting cable will be at
tached to the lifting pOntOOn by means
of a sheave on the head of a hydraulic
lifting ram having a stroke of twelve
feet which would give an effective lift
of twenty-four feet. The hydraulic
cylinders will be connected with each
other balancing and mulator regulat-
ing the amount of pressure.
BY this means it proposed to raise
the vessel twenty-four feet at a time,
until she can be tOwed into shallOwer
water and then beached.
On a small scale a test OF the efficacy
of raising boats by this particular
method has already been made. Into
a depth of water that represented com
parativeIy with the size of the
model boat the depth of the Mediter-
| ranean were lowered a number of mag
nets of relative power. The experiment
was entirely satisfactory.
One objection raised by naval experts
has yet to be overcome by the actual
experiment. 1t has been suggested that
! the sides of the Victoria have long been
| incrusted by barnacles and other mat
| ter which would almost destroy the
magnetic attraction of steel to steel
| The electrical experts, however, declare
| that the water of the Mediterranean is
| comparatively clean and pure, and that
| the magnets would in all probability
attract themselves readily to the steel
| sides of the ship.
There is little doubt that the expert
| nent will be tried. The Victoria cost
| s., 900, 900. The small hole in her side
| can readily be repaired. The cost of
| raising the ship will not exceed $500 900,
| and if the test proves successful the
| British government in particular, and
| science generally will be the gamers.