THE LIFIING OF THE VANGUARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 131, 5 June 1877, Page 4

THE LIFIING OF THE VANGUARD.

"jEgles" writes iv the Australasian: — , " They tell me that a Victoriun in England was the purchaser of the wrecked Vanguard, aud that tbe vessel is sold in advance to the British Governtneut for a large sum if delivered afloat. Of course that may prove a difficult condition. The work of floating has been eutrusted to a man I know very well— Captain Coppiu— who haa been successfully engagoii ia ship raising

for the last thirty years." Captain Coppin himself thus writes to tbe London Times:—" The ship haa no keel, but she has a double bottom, strongly supported internally, and I cannot understand upon what theory it is supposed that her bottom is injured. I have bad over 30 years of ship raising, and with proper and powerful appliances, the operation of raiain? the Vanguard is by no means difficult oor in itself very costly. Our shores are studded with valuable sunken ships and steamers, and in providing means for raising the Vanguard a want will be met which has greatly been felt, and is very costly to the maritime interests of our country. It is simply a question of weight to raise, and the providing of sufficient power to raise it. The weight of the Vanguard under water is about 5000 tons (the Admiralty gave the weight aa 4000 tons). The dimensions of tbe four pontoons are 175 feet by 50 feet, by 18 feet deep each, capable of raising upwards of 12,000 tons with a free-board of over three feet. The raising of the Vanguard will be accomplished by passiug steel wire ropes under her bottom at distances apart of about five feet of tbe entire length of tbe ship. There are innumerable air and gun ports, and various other means for fastening the ropes if additional means are required. After passing tbe ropes under the ship they will be fastened to a line of buoy, on each side of the ship, ready for being passed up through the tubes from the bottom of ' tbe deck of the pontoons, and the alack taken in by steam winches. Each rope will have a hydraulic index to show the strain, which is not to exceed 100 tons, although the breaking strain of each rope will be nearly 200 tons. The pontoons will be fitted with appliances for quickly raising and lowering them. Each foot of depth in the. four pontoons, after their own displacement, is capable of raising 1000 tons; therefore five feet will lift the Vanguard off the bottom, leaving a further lift of eight feet every two bouts for each operation, irrespective of tides. I calculate upon taking the Vanguard up the incline of the Kiah bank, so that her decks will be above water witbin twenty-four hours after securing her to tbe pontoons. The diving operations will be conducted by means of a new deep diving dress, the invention of Messrs. Tylor and myself, enabling the diver to remain with safety several hours under tbe water at a greater depth than where the Vanguard lies, I visited the locality of the wreck of the Vanguard on the 14th instant, and carefully sounded round her. She lies on hard sand, and I have no hesitation in saying that tbe interior of tbe ship(divided into so many compartments, nearly all closed) is comparatively free from sand or mud."