284 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[August, 



DESIGN FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS. 



BY JAMES WHITE, C. E. 



Ix the year 1832 I proposed a design for raising the Royal George, 

 off Spithead, or other sunlven vessels, a drawing and description of 

 which was published in the GLntltman's Magazine for December, 

 1S32 ; and suljraitted to the Board of Admiralty shortly afterwards. 

 From the discouraging treatment which was experienced on present- 

 ing the invention to that Board, I might not have sought an oppor- 

 tunity to republish it; but observing, in the Rtpertory of Pakiil 

 InveiitioHS for last May, that a patent has recently been granted for 

 the use of air vessels of the above description, for the purpose of 

 raising sunken ships ; I consider it a duty to myself, to establish the 



priority of any claim to the invention, by recording it in a work more 

 generally read by scientific men, than the magazine in which it first 

 appeared. 



" Since the melancholy loss of this ill-fated ship, many ingenious designs 

 have doubtless been suggested, and various plans submitted to the Board of 

 Admiralty, for the jjurpose of effecting her removal. Wliatever might have 

 been the merits of such inventions, it is certain that very few trials have 

 been made, and those few have entirely failed. The proi)osed plan, however, 

 which brings all the powers of pneumatics and h>drost.itics into operation, 

 if acteil njion, jiresents every probability of being successful ; and thus re- 

 moving a dangerous obstruction from one of the most important roadsteads 

 in the kingdom. 



as dcscrilicd (to be made at Foitsmouth or the nearest station where they 

 are to be used, and towed to Spithead roads) were lowered above the Royal 

 George, and strongly secured thereto by grappling irons, on the chains 

 marked «, through her guns ports, or otherwise, as migh.t be de\ised. The 

 depth to wliich the cylinders should be lowereil, in the tirst instance, must 

 not be more, fi-om the surface of the water, than the depth which the ship 

 has s\ink in the sand. By having the cylinders as near the surface of the 

 water as possible, they will be exposed to perpetaal agitation, and this will 

 loosen tlie ship in her bed. 



The cylinders being secured, the flexible tuljcs c arc connected with pumps 

 worked by tlie engines of mo steam-hoats, as shown in the draning. A 

 powerful injection of air is forced into the air-chambers of the cylinders, and 

 the water which they contain exjielled tlu-ough the opening at the bottom. 

 Tlie darl; place in the section C, at the toji, shows the water partly ex]ielled. 

 M'licn the entire expulsion of tlte water has been effected, the cylinders will 

 olitaiu a l)uoyancy equal to the dift'ercncc of the weight of the compressed 

 air and the water displaced — a difference that wdl rather exceed than be 

 under three thousand tons. 



" Although the Uoyal George may still for some time remain immovable, 

 if the fastenings can be made sufhciently strong to bear tlic strain, such will 

 be the immense power of the cylinders, when agitated by the incessant 

 rolling of the waves, that the ship nmst eventually break uj), or be loosened 

 in Iter bed, and recovered entire — the su]ierincumbeut pressure, which is 

 most to he dreaded, being thus etfectually overcome. 



" In the event of a portion of the sliip rising from her bed entire, the 

 cylinders will probably ascend to some height above the surface of the waves. 

 The cylinders are then to be towed by steam-hoats into siiallower water, and 

 tlie ship lowered on chains prepared fur that jmrpose ; after wliich the cy- 

 linders are to be secured to the chains, one on eacli side of the ship, as low 



" The figures AB represent the elevations of 

 two air-tight cylindrical vessels, eighty feet long 

 and thirty feet in diameter, made of iron jilate 

 about one-eighth part of an inch thick, and 

 strengthened by deep fianchcs inside. The ends 

 are of a spherical form, as shown in the elevations. 

 The projection from the section C, marked (/, re- 

 presents an air-chamber, shown in the elevations 

 to extend the whole length of the cylinders. Dia- 

 metrically opposite the air chamber of each cy- 

 linder, there is an opening of an inch wide the 

 whole length of the cylinder, represented by the 

 dark place in the section C at e. The little pro- 

 jections 4 li in the elevations, denote the situations 

 of valves or cocks, to allow the air, which the cy- 

 linders contain, to escape, as they fill at the open- 

 ing e when sinking. 



" The air-chambers d are calculated to equalize 

 the difference of weight between the iron and 

 the water displaced by the cylinders when tliey 

 are fairly emerged with the chains a, and 

 grappling irons attached thereto. The cylinders 

 will therefore sink with the cylindrical part full of 

 water, and the chambers full of air. When the 

 water is to be expelled from the cylinders, as will 

 be afterwards explained, the pressure from the 

 air-chamlicrs on the water will be equal the whole 

 length of the cylinders. 



" To make a survey of the situation of the ship, 

 and to ascertain the best method to be adopted 

 for secLiring the cylinders, would be essentially 

 necessary as a pveUminary step. If the results of 

 such inquiry were favourable, the work might go 

 on ; but tiic whole of the operations un(icr water 

 I propose effecting on a new jilan — a method 

 whereby the depth does not materially aff'jct the 

 workmen. Had I not contemplated something of 

 this sort, I might not have presumed on the possi- 

 bility of effecting a v.ork of such unparalleled dif- 

 ficulty. 



" Supppose two such cyhndrical air-tight vessels 



in the water and as close to her sides as possilde. The water may then be 

 expelled from the cyhnders, as in the former instance ; when it is presumed, 

 with the cylinders so situated, the ship will be raised aliove water." 



The following year after the above description was published, a 

 working model of the invention was completed. It consisted of a 

 small ship, with two copper air vessels about 18 inches long, and 

 inches in diameter. Each air vessel had a flexible tube communicat- 

 ing with an air chamber, into whicii air was compressed by an air 

 pump, and the flexible tubes had regulating brass cocks on them, and 

 the air chamber of the pump had an air cock. 



The apparatus being complete, it was placed in a cistern full of 

 water, tlie air vessels having been previously secured, one on each 

 side of the ship, which was loaded with abotit 30 lbs. of iron, as ballast. 

 In this situation the ship was kept floating from the buoyant power 

 of the air vessels. But the instant the air cock of the air chamber 

 was opened, it began to sink ; there being a hole in the bottom of the 

 ship, the preponderating weight of the ballast caused the air vessels to 

 fill, by apertures below, and "ex])elled the air from them through the 

 flexible tubes, and finally by the air cock, until the ship and air vessels 

 went to the bottom of the cistern. 



The air vessels being now full of water, and the flexible tubes also 

 to the extent they were immerged, the object of the invention was to 

 restore them to a buoyant state, and thereby bring up the sunken slup. 



I have mentioned that regulating cocks were on the fiexible tubes, 

 which afterwards were found to be indispensible. When the air 

 pump was put into operation, both of tlie regulating cocks were open, 

 and the compressed air went on!y down one of the flexible tube: i 



