HOW THE AGINCOURT WAS FLOATED.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 886, 11 November 1871, Page 3

HOW THE AGINCOURT WAS FLOATED.

A correspondent of the " Times" sends a long account of the grounding of the Agincourt on the Pearl Kick, and of the means used to get her off. After attempts had been made to tow her off the rock, and to heave her off—or, in other words, pull her astern by the cable, at the same tire giving full speed astern with the engines—it was resolved to go on lightening the ship as much as possible and when sufficient weight had been got off, to have another try at the towing. Monday, the 3rd, was spent in lightening the ship, and on Tuesday preparations for towing commenced with sunrise, and by the time of high water 2 p.m., everything was ready and waiting for the exciting moment. Besides the Hercules, a Spanish man-of-war steamer was made fast to the starboard side, and a steam-tug to the starboard bow, all being directed to tow slightly to starboard as well as astern. The sight was now one which will not be forgotten. In both ships, as well as the Inconstant anchored a little way off, the whole of the crews were ranged about on the hammock nettings, and half way up the rigging, to get a good view of the "launch." The great steam-pipes of the Hercules were snorting away as if they had had enough of standing still, and wanted to get to work, while the excitement fore and aft seemed more like the Derby-day before the start than anything else. At three o'clock, after a deal of waiting to get the tug made fastandthe Spanish steamer, atlastthere was a hail from the Agincourt to the Hercules, " Are you ready ?" " All ready, Sir," was the answer, and immediately afterwards " Go on slow at first." The Spanish steamer was the first to tauten her cable, which she did with such a will, that away went her towing ballards, and fell into the water astern, without luckily injuring anvone. The order was now heard on board the Hercules " fifteen revolutions ahead," and than almost immediately " thirty revolutions" as the heavy chain cables groaned and rendered through their fastenings until they could render no more, the Agincourt gave signs of being alive by pivotting round until her bow and stern were lying fair in the direction of the strain. The_ cables were hardly looking straight at their work when the order was given "full speed," and immediately the water churned up under the sterns of the two ships like a dozen waterfalls, the eddy being driven of course against the Agincourt's stern, so that it was impossible from looking at her to tell if she was really moving or only breasting the frothy stream. At last there was no doubt of it. The marks on shore began to alter, and at the same time there burst out such a cheer as could never be heard anywhere but on board a British man-of-war. Where the cheering first commenced it would be difficult to say, but it was instantly taken up by the thirteen hundred voices of both ships, and echoed back by the Inconstant, while the two monsters, tugging away at one another, moved rapidly astern. The excitement however was far from over, as in a very short time the Hercules was obliged to slacken speed to pick up her anchor, which it will be remembered was kept down to place the vessel in a proper direction; and it was at once seen that the Agincourt, having no incumbrance, would come into collision with considerable force. Happily the sterns of ironclads are hard, and also they are not sharp, like the rams, so there was no fear of danger, and all were looking on with the greatest interest to see the shock. At last it came. The stern walks of both ships were curled up like brown paper, allowing the massive sterns to come into contact with a bump which set the masts shaking, and gave the lnokers-on some idea, although a slight one, of what the collision when large ships ram one another would be like. . The damage done was quite trifling ; but the immediate positions of the ships were far from satisfactory, for the towing cables had slacked down and got foul of the Hercules' screw, so that she was entirely at the mercy of the current and wind. " Slip the cables" was the order now heard on board both ships, and on board the Hercules, " Hands make sail." The yards, were at once covered with men all ready to let the sails drop the moment the order was given. This, however, was not required, as the ends of

the cable were soon seen flying out of the hawse holes, and the screw being now clear, the ship was once more under control. The only remaining difficulty was to secure the Agincourt, which was still without the aid of her engines, and this was soon managed by two or three tugs which had kept it at a respectful distance while there was any chance of a squeeze between the two ironclads, but now came manfully to the front and walked the rescued ship out into a safe position.