New-York tribune., 1910-07-26
PLANS TO RAISE MAINE
Swino Her Into Cradle of Cables,
Out of the Water.
COULD BE DONE IN 3 MONTHS
Engineer Asserts That the War
ship Could Leave Havana
Harbor Under Own Steam.

washington. July 25-John F. O'Rourke,
the engineer who hridged the Hudson al
Poughkeepsie and drove the Pennsylvania
Railroads. tunnel under the North River,
to-day laid before Mr.. Oliver, Acting Sec
retarv Of War, his plan for raising the
Maine from the mud Of Havana Harbor.
Secretary Oliver called Brigadier General
William H Bixby. chief of engineers, into
conference and MIR. O'Rourke told the two
officers the details of his plan. 1t IVES de-
cided to refer the O'Rourke plan TO an
army board of engineers, which viii be ap-
pointed shortly and which will consider at
the same time some other propositions for
the same purpose which have been made
to the War Department Mr.. O'Rourke VIII
appear before the board.
Briefly. this newest plan is based on
system Of pneumatic caissons, such as have
made possible the building OF extremely
6eep foundations under water and which
contributed largely to the success of the
building OF the tunnels under the Hudson.
No divers are used, and the pontoon system
is put completely aside. The method pro-
posed IS 10 swing the Maine in cradle OF
powerful cables and lift her completely out
OF the water, where complete inspection
of her hull viii be possible.
While the ship is suspended above water,
Mr.. O'Rourke declares. she can be repaired
as readily as If she were in drydock, and
after being relaunched from the cable
cradle can leave Havana Harbor under heI
own steam. This is said to be the first plan
Yet proposed which would present the ship
10 naval board in precisely the same con-
dition as she sunk the night Of Febru-
ary IL 1898. To raise her with pontcons,
construction experts say, would mean to
work on her hull under water, and to float
her with compressed air would disturb
conditions between decks.
First, a wharf of piles would he built or
either side Of the submerged wreck Then
between the wharves and the hull twelve
pneumatic caissons would be sunk-six or
each side. Practical tunnel building opera
lions would be employed thereafter, and 8
hundred little tunnels would be driven
through the mud under the Names kee,
between the opposite caissons. Through
each tunnel a powerful steel cable would
be run, and each end would be run up the
outside of the caisson to the wharf above
So there would be a steel cable under the
hull every four feet. and the aggregate OF
ell would be calculated 10 be capable o;
raising four times the weight of the wreck
which is about seven thousand tons.
Each cable end would then be attached to
Il system of steel screw rods, and the
screwiack principle would be employed. IT
that the War Department would be asked
for thousand men to operate the hand
screws, and by every man turning lever
at a given signal il IS planned to pull the
huh up in the cradle OF cable in practically
the same way the pyramids of Egypt
are supposed TO have been built by MAI
power. once swung above the waterline
The gap between the wharves would be
bridged and the engineers would WORK
under and around the hull. When repaired
she could be let down into the water by
reversal of the process by which she wal
raised.
Mr. O'Rourke expressed the opinion Il
General Oliver that the job could be don,
in three months. Both General Oliver and
General Bixby examined the plan IL
minute detail and spent about two hour.
going over IL Mr.. O'Rourke was assured
as one condition, that should an army
board pass favorably on the project hi:
patents in the apparatus would be pro