Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-04
HOW TO- SAVE SHIPS,
LIEUT.. HoBsoN WILL ENDEAvoR TO
RESCUE SPANS sUNKEN VESSELS
ADVICE POURING IN ON HIN.
A 9,OOO-Ton Warrior of the Sea.
That Was Lifted from the Ocean,
Maw-Other Successful and Inter.
esting Experiments.
dor the DIspatch)

NEW YORK, September 3.--Quiety alb.
sorbed in experiments for the raising or
the sunken warships that were oBca
] Spain's pride, Lieutenant Hobson has
| spent much time in this vicinity recently
! ignoring all attempts on the part OF we'll.
meaning friends TO distract him from Nh,
work. He places strong faith In the plan
| that comprises the use of air-bags, but 4.
bent on trying all kinds OF expedlent,
until he has hit upon the best.
The hero OF the Merrlmac has been
inundated with advice regarding the best
means, in the opinion Of the advisor. OF
raising the sunken Spanish ships. IL ls
usual TO begin raising a sunken vessel By
sending down men 10 patch up the holes
by which the water came in. Divers
take with them the necessary tools ana
material, together with electric lamps Tor
Illuminating purposes. When they report
that the hole is repaired, the next process,
is TO erect upon the deck "A superstructgre
generally OF wood. which cases in almost
the whole OF the upper works Of the yes
sci, and constitutes huge water-ught
compartment AS soon as this f. com.
pleted powerful tugs, provided with eror-
nous centrifugal pumps. capable OF dis.
charging many thousands OF tons %.
water per day, come upon the scene. The
pump-suction pipes are coupled up 10 the
ship, and she is soon cleared OF water
Directly this is done the vessel becomes
sufficiently buoyant TO float 20 the sur.
face and she is then towed 20 the harbor
where her injuries are permanently re-
paired.
THE USE OF PONTOONs.
Still another plan that has been success.
fully tried is to sink pontoOns and secure
them to the side of the sunken shin.
Their watery contents are pumped out.
and the buoyancy which they then nos.
sess serves 10 raise the wreck Tina
use of this plan, however, is usually con.
fined to small vessels. which I'm soma
cases have been lifted by the main force
OF powerful cranes working from bargos
or pontoons moored over the spot.
OF course. the work necessary 10 raise
a sunken ship. or the possibility Of rails.
ing her at all, depends on the position
in which she lies at the bottom of the
sea or harbor.
RESCUE OF THE SULTAN.
The clever mechanical contriyances in-
vented in recent years have been tho
means Of saving many noble vessels from
the sea. Proudly steamng on the ocean
to-day are ships that n century ago
would have been given up as totally LOSE
when they sank beneath the waves
When the ironclad Sultan, Of the British
navy, went on the rocks Of the Comiro
Channel. which separates the islands OF
the Maltese group. IL was thought that
5000 tons Of ship Of war were lost 20 tho
Queens service. II was with considerable
az
consented TO allow the experiment oc
raising the Sultan TO be tried. The necos.
sary apparatus were sent TO the scene of
the wreck, and after divers had rescued
the Sultans guns stores, and ammuni-
ton the hull was repaired and rendered
water-tight and was then pumped dry.
and on August Goth the vast structure
was successfully lifted She was towei
to Malta, and subsequently returned o.
England. A few years ago she received
new engines ana boilers, and no one who
sees the Sultan, a splendid specimen Or
the older-fashiOned type Of ir0nclad.
would imagine now that she had spent
so long time at the bottom OF the sea.
1t took four months and a half 10 com
plete the work.
THE ATLANTIC Liner UTOPIA.
Another famous achievement in the
raising Of sunken vessels was the r,s-
cuing Of the Atlantic liner Utopia from
the oceans nav. During a heavy storm
IN March, 1891, the Utopia, which was
bound for America from an italian port.
sought refuge in the harbor Of Gibralt4r.
So fierce was the storm that while en-.
leavoring 10 anchor the Utopia was driven
lcross the bows Of the British warsbID
Arson. The sharp ram Of the ironclad
ore huge rent In the Utopa's side. and
/ very short space Of time elapsed before
he foundered, taking with her several
hundreds Of her passengers mostly Italian
migrants. The Utopia was subsequently
aised by the cofferdam process. and pre-
ented a very remarkable a%pearance
yhen she was home for repairs. She IS
TIL running though under a different
lame.
LOST BY CARELESSNESS
Still another vessel which owes her Ufe
o modern methods OF raising sunken
hips is the Austral, a fine ship that sunk
t her moorings In Sidney harbor The
over ports on one side were carelessy
eft open, while the vessel was listed in
hat direction. \ puff Of wind sent tho
Inc ship the little bit further over that
ave the greedy water the chance Tor
which it was waiting. The water rushed
y, the liner heeled over more and more.
was impossible 10 stop the influx. and
he Austral quietly subsidized 10 the bot
ON OF the harbor. OF course. the raising
Z the Austral presented fewer difficulties
han usual, as she had sustained no struc-
lral damage. She was successfully float
d. and, after being refitted and cleaned.
'as again put upon the service between
ngland and Australia.