, 1915-10-27
FLOATING BIG SHIP ON AIR.
Compressed Air Raises u II ,O00-Ton Steam
OF ia Ten inmates After Starting Actual
Operations.

The surgeons of stricken ships are con-
%finually devising new ways of raising aud
floating vessels to their hospitals in the dry
docke. One of the latest methods which was
employed in floating Il stranded steamer Of
$4,000 tons is described III q recent number
OF IHe lV0II8'S Idc0Hce (New York;.
The steamship Ieeiaad, on her way up the
St. Lawrence from England early last Nov
ember, ran aground about midway between
Quebec and Montre&l and pushed So high
on the mud that she was raised nearly three
feet above her light load line. The season
for ice WAS near at hand, and there was tear
that she might be caught and held for the
winter in the river. A fl 'et of ocean going
tugs tried to bulge her, but failed.
The saivors 6Ist decided to drop some Of
the bottom plates out of the ship, charge the
everything compartments with compressed air,
and count upon the escopinG bubbles to break
the seal between the ships bottom and the
gripping mud. As % preliminary, a channel
had been dredGed on eoch side Of the lee
Ldld and thence sternward out to the mann
waterway. But the dredges could not get
under the vessel. and, therefore, she rested
upon a mound Of clay which held her fast. 1t
WINS then realized that dropping the bottom
plates would mean a long delay for repairs.
Time was precious.
An American engineer, w. w. Wother-
spoon, who had performed some notab e fe4ts
IN raising euuk0n ships, was summoned from
New York w telegraph. H. arrived on a
Sunday. He agreed to get the steamer free
by the following Wednesday,. aud, ia the
event Of his failure to do SO, to make 10
charge for his services.
Most big ship, hive screwed into their
bottoms, from tue outside, "a double line of
bronze plugs spaced at interyO}s from stem
to stern. These are called drainage Plugs
and are Withdrawn when the craft is in dry
dock SO as to free any water in her hllge4 or
double bottom. The Zecilutd was provided
with those plugs, Mr.. Wotberspoou remov-
Ell seven on each side amidships, at such
iut6rvaIs TINT they spann4d the length Of the
ship where she rested deepest il the mud.
The plugs were tapped with two holes on
4aeir inuer ends, and with key wrenches 1t
was easy to screw them cupboard and clear
of the ship.
As these holes were threaded and had o
diameter Of more than que inch, they were
all ready for the attaching Of pipe fittings,
aud this was doue so quickly that only %
little ooze forced itself upward and inboard.
With these fittings III place, rubber hose was
then connected to each one OF them, connect
ing them with an air compressor having a
capacity Of 900 cubic feet Of free air per
minute. The ship was hghteue as much as
possible, AMI lines were led from the stern
to five Ia dem tetm4 Of powerful tugs, q
separate wire cable being passed around the
ships bow and led to the win9lasses of the
two dredges, which were firmly anchored
10 guide the liner, two tugs were stationed
at the steamers hend, one on each bow.
When all was ready, the ships engines
were backed, the dredges wound on their
windlasses, and the ten tugs pulled with al
their might. Mr.. Wotherspoon then let loose
the compressed air through the Ia openings
in the ships bottom. The buoyaut bubbles
surfaceward, and, i'll their struggle
to rise, spread out an1 broke the contact
bet cen. the steel plating ana the tenacious
clay. II his way the grip of the waterhed
was destroyed, the liner lifted, ho4tin2, as II