The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-03-07
THE MAINE
TT Is TO BE RAISED.
How The Famous Bastleship Is to be
Lifted.

/ 100
Vi1ginian- Pilot.
| For three years the wreck OF th'
Maine has lain upon the bottom OF The
harbor of Havana. Now, at last, thl
government has awarded the contract
to raise it from the bottom. The effor1
is to be made to repair the shattered
hull sufficiently to permit tho floating
of the ruined battleship into drydocl
in order to reft her for her place in the
navy. If this shall prove impossible
the wreck will be broken up and sola
for old metal and for historic souve
Mrs. In the latter contingencies, by
the terms of the contract, sufficient
quantity OF the old bronze will be sel
aside to mould the statues for the
Maine monument.
The task of raising the Maine will
be undertaken by Chicago company
organized expressly for the purpose
the agreement being that the company
is to raise the vessel for the salvage
and to pay the government tree per
cent. of all proceeds. In addition the
company will return all personal prop
erty belonging to the officers and crew
of the ship.
The plan is to raise the Maine com.
pletely to the surface of the water by
means of cofferdam, says the New
York Journal. This is really sort o1
fence of gigantic piles. A double row
of piles 70 feet long will be driven into
the mud all around the wreck of the
Maine, their tops coming up above the
surface OF the water. When this dou-
BILE fence has been completed the space
between the two rows will be filled up
with material until a water-tlght bar
rier has been formed. Then the water
in the central space will be pumped
out until the Maine will be left clear
OF water, lying in the mud bottom.
The next step will be to attach enor-
nous buoys to the ship, sufficient to
hold her up on the surface even when
partly full of water. It will be neces-
sary to patch up the Maine to keep her
from breaking to pieces before raising
her. When the buoys are in position
water will again be let into the Golfer
dam and the ship will steadily rise to
| the surface.
This cofferdam will be the largest
ever constructed anywhere. It will be
oblong in contour, including within it
every piece of wreckage from the
Maine. Its construction will consist oi
brush, rock, earth, gravel and sack
sand so constructed as to be practical
ly impervlous to water. The top will
be large enough for team to travel
along upon it with safety. The brush,
one of the features of the dam, will be
tied in bundles 80 feet in lenghth, COM
posed of broken joints, SO as to make
a solid bundle. These bundles will be
weighted with rock and sunk into
place. They will be interlaid and WOW
en- together in way that will form a
perfect piece OF network around the
ship, and as each layer goes down earth
and gravel will be packed among them
Heavy bags of sand will compose the
rear part of the base, while few lay.
srs of them will be placed on top to be
surmounted with earth.
! Once constructed the contractors will
put pumps to work, and when the bot
tom of the harbor Is reached a well
will be dug into it to hold all the bilge
water that may leak through. Pump.
will be kept at work whenever the well
Hills with water.
The salvage in the Maine is expected
to be enormous. In its hold, according
to the government schedule, there are
now $500, 900 worth OF ammunition and
100 tons of copper and brass. A hun
dred engines are stored away in the
hulk Of the vessel, while the arma
ment and fittings are figured to be
worth considerable money even If the
vessel cannot be repaired. But this il
a contingency not anticipated by the
contractors. The explosion on the
Maine was amidships and In the bow
and only in that part Of the vessel We,
it wrecked. The construction Of a
bulkhead will, the contractors believe
shut of the bow and the warship will
float.
Three offers were made by the com
pany to raise the Maine. One wat
submitted on January Z, 1899, to the
War Department and price of 81 500,
OOO asked. It was referred to the Nava1
Bosrd and rejected. On January 5lasl
when bids for the project we're asked
for, the corr pany offered to raise both
1 FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS.