The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-17
RAISING THE MAINE.
Engineer sewalI orfeanIzIng Company
 Here to Furnish Funds.

From the New Orleans Picayune.
 The herculean task of raising the hulk of the American battleship Maine. which was blown up in Havana harbor, Febru- aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa cmfwy mfwy fw ary 15, 1898, is to be attempted by R. H. expert, very probably in the near future. F. sewall, a New Orleans engineering business fin this city for years. and ever since the great ship. torn and shattered by a powerful mine, went down in thirty feet of water within sight of the docks at the Cuban capital, he has had the idea that the remnant of the vessel be raised. repaired and fioated again. and raadily converted into a moneymaking pr. position.
 Mir Sewall during the time that the United States troops occupied Cuba, just after Spain's crushing defeat, tried to in- terest the secretary of the navy and oth- CT of the authorities at Washington in his scheme, but in those busy days the officials had no time to think of the ruined hull of a battleship. and Mir. Sew alrs effort was not crowned with suc- cess.
 When the United States evacuated Cuba the wreck of the Maine was left to the Cuban government, to dispose of ir as it saw fit, and MT. Sewall went to work a permission to rescue the warship's hull from It's resting place at the bottom of Havana bay.
 It was Mr Sewalls intention, had per- mission been secured to raise the ship to exhibit it at the St. Louis world s fair but contractor from Chicago got ahead of him with better offer to the Cubans, and was awarded the right to proceed with the work The Chicago con- tractor gave up the work almost before he started 1t, and MT. Sewall again re- newed his overtures to the island govern ment. with the result that several days ago he received communication from senor Joseph Garcia Monies, secretary of state for Cuba, agreeing to contract under conditions which his government imposed
 The conditions proved satisfactory and MT. Sewall will go to work perfecting his plans at once, MT. Sewall, under the conditions imposed. agrees to furnish a bond of $250O to begin actual work within six months from the date of signing the contract, and to complete the job in another six months. Before the wreck is taken from the harbor he must pay the Cuban government the sum of $5OO0.
 Mir Sewall says that his plan Is endors- ed by many prominent engineers. among them F. L. Corthell, the well known as sociate of the great Eads.
 MT Sewalrs plan Is to organize com pany with capital of $500,000, which sum will be needed to carry out the con- tract, and while some of his friends have advised him to go to New York to form the company. he has determined to try local enterprise first He intends, how ever. to offer the population of every state the opportunity of helping him in what he considers great and patriotic work.
 MT. Sewall said to Picayune reporter that a well-known local capitalist had informed him that he believed tho plan a perfectly feasible one, and that 1t would prove a great financial success. The promoter intends to put his shares on the market at a very low figure, and Is depending largely upon the patriotism of the people to help him. He thinks that s25o,OoO will be readily raised, and with the sum in hand he can start to work immediately.
 | MT Sewall was asked how he expected to make money out of his scheme. ad- hitting that the desired money was pro- cured and the ship raised. The engineer explained that the ship would be towed | from place to place and exhibited, in | fact, converted into a floating museum, and so much ahead charged to visit her. He thought that the people all over the world would be ready to patronize ship that had helped make so much history. and that relic hunters would be ready to pay big prices for some small part of her.
 The promoter explained that the work of raising the Maine would not prove pose. if the necessary funds were avail able.
 The ship lies in only 9 feet of water. and the contractor says that a circular coffer dam of Sewall billings. his own in- vention. could be built completely around her and the waters of ths bay pumped out The ship would rest on ery .botsen, and her hull could be patched BD ssri. ciently to float her to ths nearby Cocks. where she could be repaired altogether
 Mir. sewalI was assisted in drawing ID his plans and psrfecti1x his schssas py Messrs. Daney & waddiIL ths esNi sr. gineers of the Masonic Temple BailcsHE