THE SORATA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 4, 5 January 1881, Page 4

THE SOR ATA.

Few things (says the Adelaide correspondent of the Argus) have produced such a thrill of satisfaction in this Colony as tbe announcement of the floating of the Sorata. The feeling is traceable to sympathy for the company or thankfulness that a Jarge monetary loss has been averted. Whatever may be said or hinted against Captain Fowler in referenoe to the strapdjug of bis noble ship, nothing but admiration

can be felt at the manly and persevering way in which he stuck to her. He is of the stuff of wbloh heroes are made; When all others abandoned hope, he remained light and hopeful He clung to his yes.el as a fohd parent Would oling to a dying child. __c the weather. eter so .tormy, he never deserted her. It is rarely that wo have siich an example bf pluck, and perseverance right befo.e our eyes, and we .are overjoyed that these qualities should have met with suoh a signal rewan... The steamship cow lies at the Semaphore, where- her keel iB being made BecUre, by concrete flooring inside the main hold. When this is done she will be taken on to Melbourne or Sydney,. preparatory to goibg borne for a thorough overhaul there. Exaggerated r ports bave been in circulation as to the expenses which were incurred in connection with tbe raising operations. It is said tbat the entire bill will not exceed £15,000, which is nothing compared to the total value of the vessel, and considering that the machinery boa sustained little or no damage. The. following description of the plan of operation, started by the diver., and completed by Mr Armit may beof interest to your readers :— ' There were five pumps at work when M. Armit arrived, but be at obce ordered three more, and vyhen the whole were at work there was a power of suction .qual to raising 60 tons per minute. Tbis great suction power lay at the very foundation of the success of the raising operations. The inside of the hold was first half, filled with bags of clay in layers, and to a total weight of 150 tons. This was covered with beams of wood and then packed down from the ceiling or bottom of the next deck by means of upright posts. Wbtn aU this work bad been done, four divers— two on each side — were sent to fill the cracks or openings from the outside. Owing to the position of the vessel on the rocks the divers could not get underneath, hut they got near eoough to enable tbem by means;©f sticks to push tufts of graep, little bundles of oakum,, and pieces , of seaweed under the vessel. The pumping operations above sucked tjiis packing up through the rents and cjrackß, and as ocoaßion seemed to requite it, the size of - the tufts and bundles was increased, end the seaweed was taken down in bags, and then ..haken opt into the water, to be .of course sucked up till all the spaces between tne fractured bottom of the vessel and the bags of clay had been entirely filled up. Then the pumping was continued, the water ceased to flow in, and ihe ipamense vessel floated quietly cff the rocky bed on which she had lain for so many weeks. The 'outride application ' has been so effectual tbat the 'ship has made scarbely any 'water since she was raised, ond the clay is now to be removed preparatory to Hhe filling in of tbe concrete."