The herald., 1897-02-14
. 4 SUBMARINE yOMERSAULI.
The Latest Ingenious Idea to
Raise Wrecks
SUNKENyESSELS RECOVERED
And by Pumping the Hold Full
Of Air
Air.FIIed Bags and Cylinders Tit the Wreck
0ver--Requires Expert Work on the
Part Of the Diver
SUNKENvESSELS RECOVERED

An ingenious invention for raising
sunken wrecks. which has just been in
vented by Felix Gaillard, Frenchman
Of Bordeaux, is beginning to attract con-
siderable attention in the marine world,
as well as among wreckers and divers.
The device is so very simple and at the
same time constructed upon principles
which have SO long been thoroughly IA
lniliar to every SchOolboy that the only
wonder is why 1t was not appned long
ago.
From his experience as practical div
er. Mons Gaillard early in his career
knew and appreciated the numerous dill
.fiuclties encountered in raising wrecks
by the slow and laborious method OF
sinking caissons, blnding them 10 the
hull and slowly raising it to the surface,
where the water could be pumped out
of the hull and the work of repair begun
Often when his difficult task was near
ly completed and the wreck was almost
at the surface. slight leak in one of the
caissons would allow the hull to sink
back to the bottom, and the work would
have to be done all over again.
At such times Gaillard wished most
devoutly that some other means OF
wreck raising could be devised, but as
no one appeared to be able to produce
the -longed-for invention, he final
ly set about devising' one himself.
AS a boy, he had been familiar with
the principle by which when an inverted
cup is forced beneath the surface of
the water the air pressure within the
vessel keeps it dry and prevents the wa
ter from filing it.
This was the first idea of the French
inventor. and it is the fundamental prin-
ciple of the perfected Gaillard system of
wreck raising.
Simple as is the method as applied by
irvaptn1 If tOoE long months TO
make the theory practicable. Both time
and money were required, and while he
had almost too much of the former, there
was a lamentable scarcity of funds until
a number of financially solid Wrecking
companies became interested in the mat
ter and furnished Gaiilard with the nee
essary capital with which to carry on his
work.
The result of this work is simply
number of waterproof bags, made in the
shape Of huge cylinders or pipes; long
tubes, which connect these bags with
pawerful air pump, and some stout
pieces of canvas and chains
That is the entire invention complete
and ready for service, yet it represents
long hours of thought as well as days
and weeks of work which were neces-
sary before the persistent inventor
could 80 to those who had furnished
him the money with which to carry on
the work ana say with certainty: Il
have completed and perfected my plans
ard machine for raising wrecks"
The air pumps used in this wrecking
machine are much more powerful than
the ordinary kind and are carried in the
stern of staunch ocean-going tugs cap
able of withstanding any kind of wealth
er and are furnished with engines of the
most powerful construction.
the engines in these tugs are so ar
ranged that whenever it is desired, they
can be connected with the air pumps
and used to force air through them,
while the tug remains stationary.
The air is forced first through draft
pipes into a huge bellows-like arrange
ment made of steel. wood, canvas and
leather and reinforced at every possible
point with a double thickness of each
material 1t is circular in form and held
in position between two horizontal steel
plates which are connected by powerful
screws.
When the air is forced into the drum,
1t naturally expands and forces the two
steel plates. between which it is held,
apart. After it has been completely
filled with air the huge screws which
connect the rims of the plates are turned