Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-11-15


For this work wreck finders are en-
ployed The wreck finders consist OF
two thirty-two-foot power boats, gaso-
line engines being used, and each boat
Is manned by two men. The boats run
out to the territory where the wrecks
are believed to be. In each one Is a
large. reel containing a mile of inch
rope. The boats are run alongside OF
each other, and the ends of the ropes
from each boats reel are spliced. This
makes a continuous rope two miles
long, and in reality, lashes the two
wreck finders, or sweep boats, as they
are sometimes called, together.
The boats then run in opposite d.
rections until they are half a mile
apart. Then they take their course
and run parallel to each other, the
windlasses or reels in each boat in the
meantime having been released and
paying out the rope from the stern OF
each boat through a ring In the end OF
an iron pole that extends out over the
stern. When sufficient length Of rope
has been paid out two large weights
Of 300 pounds or more each are run
down the rope from the stern Of each
boat These weights sink to the bot
tom and hold the half mile Of rope
about four feet from the ground, SO
that the rope forms sweep half
mile long, catching anything that
comes in it's way. Sometimes one of
the sweep boats will remain at anchor
and the other boat run around radius
Of half mile, and clearing up mile
Of ground. When the sweep rope catch
es fast it Is indicated by the pulling
down, sometimes almost under water,
Of the sterns Of the sweep boats. The
boats are stopped and the reels are re-
versed to wind up the rope. Slowly
the sterns Of the boats come closer and
closer together until they are almost
directly over the point where the sweep
rope Is fastened many feet below. Then
the nature of the wreck Is determined.
The next step, in case the wreck
proves to be a coal barge, is taken by
the diver, one of the crew always being
a diver. He dons his rubber suit and
Is let down to the fastening and pro
ceeds to explore the find. He estimates
the quantity and looks into the quality
of the find; also observes the best man
ner Of taking it out, whether by buck
cts or the suction pump. If the find Is
worth while the diver fastens a floating
buoy to the wreck, and then the sweep
boats proceed on their way to find more
wrecks. After the wreck finders have
marked their find by floating buoy
the lighters run out. They are equip
ped with derricks and suction pumps.
Sometimes the pump is run down into
the sunken coal barges and showed
around by a diver, who goes below to
tend the pump and place the end where
it will do the best work. This Is the
easiest method of recovering the coal,
as the coal is sucked up through the
f1ve-inch pipe in a steady stream and
falls into screen, the water running
overheard, and the coal passing down
the chute into the hold of the lighter
At other times 1t Is necessary to take
the coal out in buckets or shoyels, the
shovels acting the same as the folding
shovels on a great dredger, which
sends the shovel down to the bottom
and then closes up, bringing up what
ever it shuts up on at the bottom.
It is not an uncommon thing to find
a coal wreck where the lighter can be
pumped full of coal in half day, and
a wreck that will not fill the hold Of
the lighter In day is not considered
much of find. A hundred tons Of coal
recovered In this way is considered
fair days work. It will be seen that a
cargo Of 100 tons Of coal, If sold at $40
ton, would yield handsome profit to
the water miners" In round figures,
1t would amount to $1,000 for DAYS
work, and, as it costs nothing but the
labor expended in mining 1t, the profit |
Is many times over 100 per cent.