New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-10
LONG SALTAGE TRIP.
Eight Thousand Niles to Rscorer
Big Shin.

One Of the most remarkable un5ertssfnr. O.,
marine history - saIve a wrecked steamship =.
now under way The $4,000 steamboat olvu,Dfan-
quilt IN 1884 by John Roach. at Chester on tha
Delaware is now high and dry on a sandy sbo-a
IN the Straits o. Ma gellan near the extreme south
ern point OF South America The STEAMSHIP,
amethyst after being fitted out with all the lstss.
WreCking appliances. has recently started On a ror,
Journey TO help float the Olympian and tow h. p,
New York. After necessary repairs have hsa7
made the boat will be pIarsd N ro-,-,,=-G- - -.
command OF Captain Jacob Wise
captain Wise. Captain Charles p Crocksr ard
TWO men are camping out" near the stranded
vessel keeping guard over her and protecting her
from the elements as best they can. They bavs
ouiit little shanty stocked 1t abu1dantlv with
provisions. and. although ten miles from, he rssr
est village, manage 10 pass the time pleasantly
for letters from the little crew convey no syr1o-
toms or loneliness beyond the natural wish 10 get
back 70 the United States at the earliest possbls
day. That will not he until next J,1e however
as the huge wreOking task and subsequent long
tow are expected 70 take at least nine months
Inc OIyhpian was built by John Roach twenty
TWO years ago for the Oregon Railway and Navi-
s94oh company and designed for service on the
columbia River and Puget Sound. For seven years
she regned queen OF the Puget Sor,4 fss- ~, roi,t
OF size speed and general excellence. But the
olynpian was an expensive boat to maintain and
u@Hlc was not heavy. For fifteen years she lay
IN the Columbia River unused but not forgotten
NN'N'44S upward OF SUutOo IL COr 20 %
lightly cast aside. So a force or men was kept
regularly at work TO that she did not suffer
rom the elements or from wanton abuses.
IN January last the Olympian was purchased FOR
a mere fraction of her original cost by c. L
Dimon. president OF a steamship line in New York.
Inc huge vessel In tow OF a little tug was taken
10 san Francisco, where the Zeaandia. an iron
steamship purchased at the same time BY Mr..
Dimon. was waiting to tow her to New York.
the two vessels left San Francisco January 9
and entered the straits March 10. Several storms
had been encountered. but both vessels were I'M
harmed. While resting Quietly at anchor on ths
night or March Is furious wind from the Antarctic
regions arose. The Olympian which had passed
unsSathed through SO many storms. parted ns E
at the height of the monthly tide. which at that
point rises forty-two feet that the mlshap ot
was decided 10 wait until the next high rise For
charge, out was nnalIy obliged to abandon her tasA
The limited wrecking facilities in that Section TOO
trip to New York alone leaving Captains wise,
vessel
live, i was simple problem IN Hathspstics Which
induced the new owner OF the Olymplan 20 SEND
straits to dost the big steamboat He found L
would be cheaper in the end 10 have the work done
70 possibly inefficent wreckers along the wide
stretch Of coast between here and the South ArneG
can waterway. The steamship Amethyst has osen1
hitting out for several months ana will carry III %
feet OF track ana dozen Dump cars The oiynpiaa
lies with her port side toward the water. ana me
2Cvo tons OF sand and gravel between the vesse4S
side and the water.
This win have to be removed before final prepa-
rattons can be made for the new launching Aye t5
this sand and gravel have been taken away tsa
water and anchors laid 1T considerable distanes'
or shore To these anchors ropes will be attaenSS.
boat when all is in readiness the donkey engines
r. o sSsT5 no and sbs sss Gy%DSs w
PrsAA