MR MAQUAY'S SHIP-LIFTING APPARATUS.

West Coast Times, Issue 912, 25 August 1868, Page 2

MR MAQUAY'S SHIP-LIFTING APPARATUS.

(PHOII THE GEELOXa ADYEETISEH, JTTIY 15.) The first public trial of Mr Maquay' s shiplifting apparatus was made yesterday m Coi-io Bay, and the success attained was so complete as to fully justify all the expectations of the company who have become the proprietors of the patent, anil, on the strength of it, have, we believe, bought the sunken steamer, the City of Lnunce3ton. A private trial was made on F: iday last, fully convinced the shareholders that it would bo advisable to let the public see and judge for themselves what a treasure they had .secured, and accordingly arrangements were at onco made for the event josterJay. The time appointe 1 was throe o'clock but sometime before the Yarra-stivet wharf was crowded wiih spectators, and the Jiay assumed quite a lively appearance, being dotted with dozens of pulling asid eailing boats hnslcnitig on their way with living freights to the so-.-ne of operations. A barge was moored about a quarter of a mile from the shore, in fivo ' fathoms of water; at the stern of this barge a smalliT one, twenty feet in length and ten feet broad, laden wit h chains and stoucs'to the extent often to«s had been sunk, and it was this heavy mass v.hieh it was proposed to lift bodily from the muddy bottom. Having said this much, and before proceeding to the operation, of yesterday, it will be as well to furnish our readers with some idea of the invention, all particulars relating thereto being courteously suppbed by Mr Maqu:ry and his assistants, Messrs Hamilton and Edwards ; and if our description only in a faint measure describes the apparatus, it will easily be gathered that one of the greatest recommendations of the invention is its extreme simplicity. A strong iron cylinder 3 feet 6 inches in height, with a diameter of 2 feet 6 inches, 13 half filled with water, into this is placed 50 lbs. of zinc and a carboy containing 112 lbs of sulphuric acid ; the cylinder which weighs about a ton ia then lowered on to the vessel it is proposed to raise ; two large circular pieci'3 of prepared canvas 22 feet in diameter, having previously, by metes of a network of ropes, the lower ends being gathered together round circles of rope, being formed into the shape of balloons, with a capacity of 210 cubic feet each, are lowered down, and by means of angle irons and chains, firmly aflixed to the sunken body. All having been mado ready by a diver he strikes an iron bar passing through an aperture at tho top of tho cylinder and bearing upon the glass carboy of sulphuric acid which it smashes, and causes the acid to mix with tho zino acid water, and this coming in contact with tho oxide of zinc quickly causes hydrogen gas to generate. This U then conveyed to the two balloon 3 through two indiarubber tubes affixed to two tap 3 on tho cylinder and the balloons becoming inflated with a gas fourteen and a half times lighter than tho atmosphere we breathe, quickly rises to the surface of tho water; that is to say, if the dead weight they are fastened to is not too heavy, and it is calculated that each of them, when fully inflated, will lift ten tons of deadweight through water, though judging by yesterday's experiment, they will lift a great deal more than this. As tho weight required to be raised yesterday was only 10 tons, oniy one balloon was called into requisition, and only half a charge of aci 1 and zinc placed in the cylinder. 'The preparations were eagerly watched by Captains Nicholson, Balfour, Heath, and a numbor of gentlemen from B.illarat and G-eelong, who had been invited on board the barge. Everything having been got ready for the lowering of the cylinder — Mr Maquay — who, by-the-bye, is a firstclass diver, donned his 14G lb. weight diving dress ; and when ho came on deck, his gi-o-tcsquc appear nice caused no little amusement — ma.-iy present no! having seen a diver in uniform before, down hs went over the side of the vessel, and quick was tho word given to the men at the air-pump to "blow away." After a lapse of a >ew minutes, the sign was given from below to lower the cylinder ; this was done, when agoin there came a check, Mr Maquay finding that the cylinder had not landed in the centi eof the barge. This was, howeier, quickly remedied, and after the lapse of h:ilf-an-hour up came the diver again with the information that one of the guy ropes had broken, c-uising the cylinder to hiy on one side, and that one end of the barge hud sunk into the oosy mud. This information caused much anxiety as it was feared tho cylinder mi^ht topple over and make the carboy burst before everything \va3 ready. After two or three such drawbacks which always occur on a first trial, the signal was given, and the balloon waa lowered into the water, and firmly fixed to the chains placed athwart tho punt. A thud was heard, proving the iron carboy smasher to have been struck, and then all were on the gui vive wishing to see the balloon inflate. There waa a great rush of air to the surface of the water and many thought, tho balloon had burst, but this was simply impossible — for if too much gas came out of t.he tube it would escape from under the balloon, the commotion on the water was caused by the escape of tho atmospheric air which the bag contained when it wont down. Gradually it could be sesn tho balloon was inflating, but it was at the samo time discerned tli.ifc the stuff of which it was made, viz., canvas with a coaling of gutU pereha, steeped in naptha, was not airtight. Thu escape of gu3 was not, however, commensurate wiih the supply, mv\ al. the lapse of oloven minutes the balloon having detached tho punl from the bottom, came up with a jump, and rose three or four feet out of tho water, the punt being suspended eighteen foot in least from the bottom, mid was being kept in suspense when our reporter left, showing that it could easiiy bo towed into fahallow water and secured. Tho diver on roapj eiring wa-3 greeted wi'li (lire- hrnrl.y cheers upon his success, and all went away delighted. In fact Mr Maquay was moro successful than even bo anticipated. He only guaranteed that one balloon "would r.viso ton torn, but the manner in whioh it dragged up Ih ! punt yostemuy, latl.-n to the extent mentioned, and overcame tho suction which must exist between a flat substance sunk into greasy mud is a pretty convincing proof that it would have raised half as much again. It is calculated that to raise the City of Launceston it will require twenty cylinders and forty balloons, but more of course can bo used

if required. As for ourselves, we feel satisfied that all that h required to ensure success is good tackling to stand tho strain. A^ to tho balloon not being airtight, that can easily be remedied, as caai also tho net work around it, as we noticed one of the ropes gave way yesterday. When the balloon roso out o*f the water soveral gentlemen stood upon it, but vheve waa no -apparent depression.