406 



Popular Science Monthly 



In the first place 

 the surf was 

 heavy. The steam- 

 er sent down by 

 the sah'age com- 

 p a n y wahowed 

 about seventeen 

 days before it 

 was possible to 

 start work. The 

 ship had been 

 sunk in the open 

 roadstead, but 

 upon a bar so that 

 the upper works 

 were awash. Be- 



The ship had been sunk on a bar in the 

 open roadstead, so that the upper works 

 were awash. The surging of the rollers 

 and the undertow made it difficult for the 

 divers to work or to move about 



came alongside he was closely questioned. 

 Some of the provisions were taken 

 aboard, among them were a number of ^ 

 bottles of brandy. Perhaps the brandy 

 allayed all suspicions. At all events it 

 was decided to hoist on board a hogs- 

 head of lard. This was found to be al- 

 ready slung. Half way on its upward 

 journey it exploded, killing about thirty 

 men, wounding nearly the same number, 

 and incidentally sinking the Progrcso. 

 The poor fool in the boat (if he really 

 had known what he was doing, his cour- 

 age would rank with that of Hobson), 

 Avas taken on the deck of the sinking 

 ship and shot with characteristic Mexi- 

 can promptness. The Auxiliar, an 

 ocean-going tug, happened to be near, 

 and saved the crew from the sinking 

 vessel. 



Five months later a Xew York salvage 

 company was commissioned by the Mex- 

 ican government to raise the ship. Ask 

 the head of the wrecking expedition how 

 the Progrcso was salved, and he will an- 

 swer: "By a board fence, a few lengths 

 of barnyard netting, and a moving-pic- 

 ture screen.'' In spite of this airy de- 

 scription, the undertaking was fraught 

 with many difficulties and real danger. 



Space Dnpeit rfi» Pet^ffe ^ 



g ; '• \/^_ ^- -- 



Diagram of the hold of the ship, showing 



the compartment which was filled with 



compressed air to make the steamer rise 



on what was practically a bubble 



fore the wreckers could start to raise her 

 it was necessary to seal every opening; 

 glass deadlights, hatches and bulkhead 

 doors had been blown away. The surg- 

 ing of the rollers and the undertow made 

 it hard for the divers to work or to main- 

 tain their footing. Even at low tide the 

 obstacles were formidable, for the surf 

 broke about their heads, and the heavy 

 diving suits hampered them because they 

 were not completely submerged. 



Cages Saz'cd the Divers from Sharks 



Man-eating sharks added to the haz- 

 ards of the work ; for they were attract- 

 ed by the noise of hammering, and had 

 to be fought off many times. Even more 

 savage than the man-eating sharks was a 



