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Raising Perr 'NIAGA ysSFlagship 37 THE BOW OF THE NIAGARA EXTENDING BEYOND THE PONTOONS ACING conditions which re- tarded the work constantly, William Paasch, an Erie con- tractor, has completed the stupendous task of raising the Niagara, Perry's battleship in the war of 1812, from the bottom of Misery Bay. at Erie. Today the old "ship of the line" lies protected in a roughly built shack on Presque Isle, safe from the elements and hundreds of curio-hunters who daily seek to obtain a splinter from the gnarled ribs. Soon, the Niagara will be reconstructed and ready for her last cruise when shé will sail from Erie to Duluth, Minnesota, during the Perry Centennial celebra- tion this summer. | But for the fury of the waves the Niagara would beached three months ago. has been a mass of ice weeks and only recently workmen able to resume _ their labor with any degree of success. Four pontoons which were anchored over the Niagara before the water froze have been locked in, blocking the work entirely. In zero weather the men cut holes in the ice through which they dropped pipes to the Niagara and blew out sand and clay from the hold. They worked in greatcoats and boots and frozen fin- gers were common. Even after the ice started to melt their task was well near impossible because of the danger of falling through. Many times, men crashed into the icy water and were rescued by comrades. A 30 ft. crane was erected upon the stern pontoon and chains con- necting with the beams of the winds and have. been The bay for many were the Niagara were attached. . When the engine in the pontoon was. started, the crane lifted slowly, raising the old hulk from the bottom and, at the same time propelling the whole line of pontoons toward shore _bear- ing between them their historic bur- den. Four chains were slung be- neath the Niagara, one at stern, two "LOOKING DOWN UPON NIAGARA amidships and one at bow. Those amidships relieved the pressure when the engine was working and conse- quently the old battler was lifted intact. The idea belongs to Paasch and was worked out against the ad- vice of some who were confident that the Niagara would split amid- ships with the pressure. _ Several As she lay when the work began, the Niagara was 110 ft. long and 30 ft. beam, the measurements corres- ponding to those given in historical papers. The fact that bayonets and relics of the war of 1812 were found in the hold, proves beyond a doubt that the ship lying on Presque Isle today is the Niagara. Some there were who doubted, but Paasch him- self is confident that his work has not resulted in the resurrection of some old dry-dock or canal boat. weeks before the Niagara was lifted from the water, the gun- ports came to the light of day. They were 10 ft. apart, 4 ft. high and 3 ft. wide, ten on the starboard and ten on port. History gives similar di- mensions to the Niagara, so it is be- lieved the question is settled be- yond all dispute. After the water had been probed before the work of raising began, in order to ascertain the dimensions of the sunken hulk, the pontoons were floated over to the bay and placed directly above. One was anchored at each end and one on either side, thus. protecting the Niagara from. waves and debris in addition to serv- ing as working platforms for the men. From the decks of the star- board pontoon pipes were dropped and with a pressure engine the sand and clay in the hold of the Niagara was blown out. Steam was kept up to 90 Ibs. day and night, yet the driver on the engine barely moved so great was the resistance. Through the same pipes, when the clay had been cleared out, chains were shot