The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-17
STILL HOPE FOR THE MAINE.
WRECKiNG COMPANIES ANXIOt >
TO MAKE \ CONTRACT.
These Experts Also Believe in Their
Ability to Float the Cristobni
Coion-NaVal Authorities Look
ing Into the Important subject.

NEW YORK, Dec IA dispatch - the
Tribune from Washington says, TIE navy
department. has not abandoned tae nope
of ~escUing the Maine from Havana 6ar-
Dor and bringing the wreck back 10 TINS
country for rehabilitation, nor does II
seem likely from the interest taken by re-
sponsihe wrecking experts, th,t. lhe trtS~
tohol Colon viii ne permitted 10 pound
To pieces on the shore west at Sainti@S"
The board Of construction has under com
sheraton a formal proposition for the
salvage Of both these vessels and their
delivery at New York or such other port
in the United States as the government
might select, but no company WIZ % al
lowed 10 begin operations on the vessel
until comparison can he made between
the offers from several trustworthy con
Cerna
The Swedish company. which is said 10
be the most capable and experienced III
the world. now has experts at work on the
Colon making an investigation into the
difficulties involved in her salvage. Divers
and engineers have been brought from
Europe especially for this purpose. anu
after satisfying themselves OF the Colon's
condition and the expense that must ne
incurred in floating her they VIII 20 TO
Havana and examine the Maine. ihe.e
is no doubt in the minds az naval oHcia4s
that the report OF these experts Will re-
suit in a bona fide offer from the Swedisn
company The navy department has, how
ever. made the rigid rule that no PROPOSE
ton will be considered involving the gov
eminent in unnecessary expense uHul the
vessels are safely delivered in IA naval
drydock. on the mo cure, no pay pFin-
ciple.
one offer under consideration comes
from some associated engineers in New
York city, who have ample capital ana
feasibility of their project from an en-
sineering point of view Their original
terms which are. however. subject To
modification. contemplated the payment oy
the government; OF $50 600 cash in the case
OF the Maine and ST. 7,o,eeo in the case OF
the Colon on their delivery at the New
York or the Norfolk navy yard in addi-
ton to one-third of the appraised Vaiue
of these vessels on their arrival. the val
nation to be made by a board of arbitra-
tors. The uncertainty as Ia the precise
amount of remuneration involved in TINS
proposition is not attractive to the naval
officials who will insist on stipulating the
exact sum To be paid by the government
for salvage before contract Is signed,
The method OF raising the vessels to
be used by the engineers who appeared
before the board is extremely simple.
pneumatic Caissons attached 10 chains.
passed underneath the vessels through
channels by alternating jets of water and
compressed air. constitute the lifting pow
er These channels Will be Of sufficient
size TO enable a diver To pass under the
vessel with Il messenger hne. As soon as
fast to the sides or deck Of the Vessel.
the excavations Will he nlled UP by the
process by which they were made TO pre-
vent the vessel from settling
To effect the release OF vessel situated
like the Maine in tenacious harhor depos'
it's lets OF compressed air Will DE sent
along the keel simultaneously with the
introduction of air in the caissons- The
caissons are uniform in size. having a
huoying lifting force equal Ia thirty
tons each. the weight OF the YES
sci and it's contents determining
the number required 10 raise IL. Their
size and weight admit of those caissons
being easily handled in lie water by the
divers alone and their distribution. to-
gether with the automatic valves with
which they are provided. make IL impos-
sible to exert uniform force on all parts
OF the vessel The danger OF rupture from
undue pressure due 10 depth under water
or other causes or the danger of breaking
air hose is wholly ohviated by the auto
matte valves The casSons are arranged
In series and greater or less power as cir
CumstanCes require. may bo eNerted at
any point. The system is declared to af
ford complete control of the wreck and
when the water Is expelled from the cais-
sons. the vessel is lifted TO the surface in
q single operation II is asserted that
with these caisson, the Cristohal Colon can
be raised and righted even in "A Sea way.
In the case II the Maine II is intended
to cut away the forward portion OF the
huh. which Mas destroyed by the ex-
plosion and after listing the unin5ured por-
ton OF the vessel TO build a huikhead and
false bow to till the opening.