278 



THE WORLD'S ADVANCE 



/ Mud 



Diagram of the "Zealand's" Position on the Mudbank, as Well 



as the Method of Installing the Piping Through Which the 



Compressed Air Was Forced for Blowing Out the Mud Beneath 



the Vessel. 



hull all around the contour of the craft, 



it was quite impossible to pull 

 her back into the channel even 

 with the aid of a flotilla of the 

 big ocean-going tugs of the 

 St. Lawrence. 



At this stage of the game 

 the salvors were about de- 

 cided to drop some of the bot- 

 tom plates out of the ship, 

 charge the overlying com- 

 partments with compressed 

 air, and count upon the escap- 

 ing bubbles to break the seal 

 between the ship's bottom and 

 the gripping mud. As a pre- 

 liminary, a channel had been 

 dredged on each side of the 

 Zecland and thence sternward 

 out to the main waterway. 

 But the dredges could not get 

 under the vessel, and, there- 

 fore, she rested upon a mound 

 of clay which held her fast. 

 Now, the releasing of a num- 

 ber of the bottom plates, by 

 cutting the rivets from the in- 

 side, might have answered to 

 free the liner, but then she would have 



and through these water jets were sent had to go into drydock at Montreal for 



to break the seal between the steel plat- 

 ing and the surrounding clay. These 

 jets answered their purpose well, saved 

 an immense amount of excavating, and 

 freed the wreck so that it floated when 



repairs ^before she could be made fit 

 again for sea and ready to take on cargo. 

 Each day was precious, and the closing of 

 navigation unpleasantly near. What was 

 to be done? Here is where Mr. Wother- 



the enclosed space was refilled with spoon was called into council and asked 



water. Now for the novel manner in 

 which Mr. Wotherspoon applied the les- 

 son thus taught him three years ago. 



The steamship Zceland was on her 

 way up the St. Lawrence from England 

 early last November. Although there was 

 fog in that treacherous river, the steamer 

 sped on, for she was after a war cargo 

 and her object was to reach Montreal 

 and to be off again as soon as possible. 

 Luck was against her and she ran 

 aground about midway between Quebec 

 and Montreal and pushed so high upon 

 the mud that she was raised nearly three 

 feet above her light load line. The sea- 

 son for ice was near at hand and there 

 was fear that she might be caught and 

 held for the winter in the river. If the 

 ship was to be freed in time her refloat- 

 ing must be accomplished shortly, but 

 she was so firmly stuck in the mud that 



to take charge of the refloating of the 

 ship. 



It was Sunday, and he was given until 

 Wednesday to get the steamer free, and 

 it was a case of "no cure no pay." Be- 

 sides, he was to avoid any delays due to 

 repairs. After making some examina- 

 tions, he accepted the job. 



Most big ships have screwed into their 

 bottoms from the outside a double line 

 of bronze plugs spaced at intervals from 

 stem to stern. These are called drain- 

 age plugs and are withdrawn when the 

 craft is in drydock so as to free any 

 water in her bilges or double bottom. 

 The Zeeland was provided with these 

 plugs. Mr. Wotherspoon removed four- 

 teen of them, seven on each side amid- 

 ships, and at such intervals that they 

 spanned the length of the ship where 

 she rested deepest in the mud. The 



