The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-08-25
MAINE 4 sonny SIGHT
Tangle OF the Wrecked Battleships
is Really Appalling--lts Bow \
Points Toward Stern.

is Really Appalling--Its Bow
Points Toward Stern.
The greater part Of the ship Il
buried in sticky, black mud. ant
there is every prospect that at leas
six months more will elapse-if mo-
much longer time--before the hull
is fully exposed and raised" Il
1t is ever found possible to floai
any part Of It.
No one who has seen the wreck
and been on 1t and through 1t car
understand its almost impossible
tangled condition. The stern Of the
ship is comparatively intact: but moi
more than a third OF what was the
original vessel is recognized as such
Amidships the tangle begins. Fun.
nels, coming towers. decks. cabins
engine rooms, machinery, all tang.
led. pathetic mess that even the most
expert of the naval contractors and
engineers have been unable to class
ify properly.
The whole bow Of the vessel was
blown on, turned around and point
ed back toward the stern. The H.
tanic force OF the explosion-or ex-
plosions. for there were two Of them
without question--impresses the OBJ
server as having been appalling.
Think of force that would break
a steel battleship in twain and dance
the half OF II about like cork.
In the captains room and in the
other quarters that have been uncoy-
cred and mud-relieved, articles OF
presentations have been found. The
most striking thing In this line IL a
box OF rubber bands in perfect
state of elasticity and preservation.
Their immersion in the Intensely salt
waters OF Havana harbor appears to
have improved them, II anything.
Bits OF leather sword hits, shoes and
caps have come out practically I'M
injured
All metals. however. show the ef-
feet OF the immersion swords have
been found so corroded that the
blades fall apart. Strangely. the
finest steel appears TO have been the
first Of materials to succomb.
There is. roughlyu. 20 feet Of mud
to take out yet before the Maine can
be raised" The piling that forms
the exterior OF each OF the caissons
composing the cofferdam is so feet
long. Between 25 and 80 feet OF
water was pumped out. There Is
nothing but mud remaining. But
II Is glue-like mud and is 10 times
harder to get rid OF than the water
was. Hydraulic pumps have been
installed. but the work put upon
them is so unusual that they haven
been successful as yet
Oxysen-acetylene apparatus was
used for the first time on August
to separate-"cnt up'-the steel
and iron OF the ship where 1t was
necessary to remove those tangled
portions hampering the further work
Of excavation. This apparatus re.
sembles. In a way, plumbers blow
lamp. Only the intense heat cuts
through metal as a knife would
through butter. A fiys-inch sqasrs
piece Of steel was severed today 81
quickly that the operation appeared
to be almost magical,
The method OF cutting away the
opposing metal parts will be con
tInued until the wreck ~ entirel,
removed.
The whole part OF the ship so fal
exposed Is inerusted with OYSTER
and barnacles mostly oysters. Hun
dreds OF thousands OF the biyalyei
have attached themselves 10 tn.
hulk. When the water was bein,
removed from the cofrerdam thous
ands OF fish and cells splashed ant
struggled in the Enclosure. Their,
we're many OF the several hundre,
workmen employed by Major Fer
gnson. who took home strings o
fish every night when they qui
work. New OF course. there Is moth
ing but Shiny mud within the inelos
ure. - Sloane Gordon in the cincinna
Il Enquirer.