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ae sai So © astland a ¥ y) Z Y WO IS IK Water Pumped Out—Operation a Clean Cut Success RECKING operations for the purpose of raising the steamer EASTLAND from its position in the Chicago river where it capsized July 24, causing the loss of 900 lives, as told in the September issue of The Marine Review, were completed just three weeks later, August 14. Unusual inter- est was manifested in this work on account of the various difficulties that presented themselves due largely to the position of the boat and the limited space around it. - The contract for righting the steamer was taken by the Great Lakes Towing Co., Cleveland, and the work was placed in the hands of Captain Alexander which it could be pumped out, were pos- sible in the former cases. The position of the EastLanp, close to the wharf in the Chicago river, gave no opportunity for working on the keel side. The wharf is an old pile and plank structure and is bordered by old brick buildings fronting West South Water street, neither affording any opportunty for the attachment of tackle. The space between the hull and the wharf was too narrow: to be of service. With these facts presenting themselve; to the wreck-master, he decided his en- tire attack must be from the river. side of the capsized craft without aid from quired to lift it. from the river bottom. The sealing operation made it necessary to drill and tap holes in the steel plates of the hull and bolt covers of heavy planking in place over all hatches and companionway openings in the _ steel main deck; it also was necessary to perform the same work on openings cut in the steel hull during rescue work and to make all deadlights secure. Also the smokestacks were cut off at the deck level to allow the closing of these open- ings. The steel deck was not sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure that would result from making it virtually a side of the hull, while the vessel re- mained perpendicular, and it was re- Cunning, wreck master; the well known wrecking tug Favorite, of St. Ignace, Mich., again proved herself indispensible. Captain Cunning’s fitness for the under- taking was enhanced by experience in successfully righting capsized steamers on two former occasions. Each case of this sort, however, pre- sents its own problems which must be studied individually and the best means appliéd to obtain the desired result. Previous to his work on EASTLAND, Captain Cunning raised a _ freight. steamer which had capsized in the De- troit river with a cargo of coal and iron and a car ferry that capsized in the harbor at Manistique, Mich. In both of these cases the large amount of room on all sides of the wreck allowed a method of attack which was in a way impossible in the case of EASTLAND. Block and tackle operations, with Favorite pulling straightaway and lift- ing the craft to an even keel, after FIG. 3—TOWING THE RIGHTED HULK TO A MOORING BERTH any connection by cable to the shore. The Chicago river is narrow at the best and the length of the Favorite almost bridged it from EastLtanp to the north shore. The wreck lay on its side in sufficient depth to submerge more than half its beam, with the upper works somewhat more deeply immersed than the hull, owing to the greater depth of water toward mid-channel. The wreck settled perceptibly after capsizing, sinking into the river mud about two feet at the stern, hiding the starboard propeller and shaft, which were visible above water immediately after the vessel turned over. Captain Cunning at once ordered from Cleveland a strong steel pontoon rigged with a derrick and while it was on the way he proceeded to seal all the openings in the hull to make it at least partly water- tight. After the hull was sealed it was pumped out to give the buoyancy re- 379 inforced by a large amount of interior bracing. — Once sealed, the hull was. ready and pumps were rigged on the starboard side, operated by steam from _ tugs. Meanwhile divers had placed two steel cables, each 234 inches in diameter, one at the bow and one at the stern, at- tached to the starboard chocks on the main deck, passing under the hull on the port side and terminating, in the case of the one at the stern, on the pontoon already referred to, and at the bow, on Favorite. The pumping then was started and the steamer responded in a few hours by lifting clear of the mud and rising about two feet. The lightened upper works accounted for most of this gain. Both the pontoon and the Favorite had been depressed by filling their tanks and the cables were drawn snug. Both then began emptving their tanks putting a lifting strain of 300 to 400 tons on