RAISING THE AUSTRAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 78, 13 March 1883, Page 3

RAISING THE AUSTRAL.

1 ' ; The following details as to the method raising the Austral will be of interest: — Mr Eldridge the Orient command- -nava'T isrxkitect, arrived some WSeksag^ to supervise and , caiTy out the <work of floating the steamer. Previous rtoi«avl_ji Lonoion the company had obitained the bejstjscientific ppinions on the •whole situatien to fortify Mr Eldridge an the grept work -before him, who is now ■_rigagea° from early morn until sundown in sup^vising ic. ; There are at present 16 divers ank about 100 men employed : atthe_k Astral/ Wd Mr Eldridge expresses Jiis.appiiOvaJ,;oi'the able manner in which the' r \f(ffk >bas been carried out. The aofterrdami which is n w ]«st approaching completion, is built from the upper deck pf ' tfie vessel to a height above the surface' of the' water. It is 400 ft in length ima'thisljjaves^ of about 40ft at & theb'^WdSdft'at .the stem not enclosed, ir'iias •been built of Oregon p&ef^rongly fitted,' and, 10 inches in thickness. ' • Tjie .quantity , of . pine used ia.'abput i2pd 'ions in ; weight. Down Ifeeloiv, 'tije divers faring sealed up all tliat as possible with iron .plates and (washers of canvas, and indiarubber, are mow putting in large beams.as shores, .or struts ihe inside, of the vessel, jd'bt^er_^l'tl_elcpfl_3r dam may.seKjiLfulywitptand any collapsing from the i^eW pressure , of 27ft ..of water, .amiftUW^ 60 ' 4116 i »q uare moh f rom th€ outside. ■■"■ Over the coffer dam sails w fa.'_sdei£t and tightened. On the

upper deck ten centrifugal pumps are in course of erection, and these will collectively raise a volume of water averaging 220 tons per minute. The steam for driving these pump, will be supplied by steamers which will be aid along side the Austral for that purpose, and as it is calculated that only about 30 per cent, of the work will be required to overcome such leakage as may arise, the pumping power is con- ; sidered ample. The forepart of the keel : is now some .eight or nine feet off the ' bottom, while the after part of the vessel . is embedded about eight feet in the : bottom. Preparations are been made and machinery been fixed so that as soon as she floats she will be taken into shallow water on the north side where there is a good bottom and ample room to entirely free her. The heavy moorings laid down for the company' s boats have all been removed, so that there will be no danger ef the hull being injured thereby.— Age. Telegraphic advices received within the last week, report that the above stupendous undertaking has been successfully carried out. The Austral has now been raised, stripped of the cofferdam, and is ready for docking.