Her Majesty's Ship "Sultan" 401 



stance, having more resemblance to rock than to anything 

 else. If the ballast was placed as supposed, then the important 

 insurance provided by a double cellular bottom was entirely 

 thrown away, and the rent in the inner skin of the ship must be 

 as great as that in the outer one, and the damage to the outer 

 one cannot fail to be of the most extensive character. That 

 this is so is shown by the fact that with all the pump power 

 which was brought to bear on it no impression was made on 

 the water in the forehold. 



Immediately after the ship struck she seems to have filled 

 fore and aft with water, from which we may conclude that at 

 the time of the accident there was free intercommunication 

 between the compartments of the ship. On the other hand, 

 from the fact that two days afterwards it was possible to relight 

 the fires, it is evident that there was very little damage done 

 to the ship abaft the forehold, and that as she remained fast 

 "ii the rock it was possible to shut off the forehold and deal 



rately with the water in the midship and after sections of 

 the ship. Up to the I3th, when the swell began to set in, had 

 adequate appliances been at hand for dealing with the water in 

 the fore part of the ship she could undoubtedly have been towed 

 off on any one of the five days that she was on the rock and fine 

 weather prevailed. Up to the present no ships, not even salvage 



5, so far as I know, have been supplied with means, which. 

 even in theory, could be expected to deal with cases like the 

 "Sultan's." The universal method of dealing with -hip- 



h, from one cause or another, have got holes knocked in 

 their bottoms is, by means of suction pumps, to endeavou 

 remove the water at a greater speed than it e,m niter through 

 the Irak. Where the damage is in .my way extensive and 

 difficult to get at it to close it this attempt is u-u.illv unsuccess- 

 ful. In the "Sultan- case it proved hopeless from the 

 beginning. 



The main object of all -alvage operai hen stated in 



-imj -.\hi-h has tmvrd its 



way into the ship's hold by the h ought by right 



occupy the posit may be done, or attempted, 



mg out water or by pumping in air. The 



B. III. 26 



