New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-11
TO FLOAT A SUNKEN SHIP.
GAsBAGs INSIDE INFLATED BY PULLING
LEVER.
She sobbed still harder.
(To be continued)

LEV
From Black and White.
with the horrors Of the Victoria, the Drummond
Castle and the Warren Hastings-though, fortu-
naely in the last there was scarcely any loss OF Ire
II happens that in this age of invention no scheme
has been devised for rendering ships unsuitable:
Not for The first time have French inventors come
TO the rescue and of late the attention OF shpbud-
ers and others connected with the Navy and me
cious but simple plan of this sort. ANXIOUS 20
secure lucid and non-technlca account oi iYe
called on VI: L. Levasseur, the London representa-
I'VE do not claim" he said. as he rolled up his
sleeves preparatory to experimenting on the mpGel
floating in huge tank IN ms Once nr a tn
collisions or the many dangers of those who go
to the sSa shin sh 5rss out or ws az 10
Observing an incredulous aspect on the face az OF
the model hulk with sandbags and bricks ill her
wate-lne submerged. Then he pointed ou.
o o be- sHS the nq result n of e coson smdsh which,
the moment covered WITH collision mats to
a aed the neF a Vessel began to sink rapidly
emily there Kissing sound--as of soda-water
The deck and the gallant little ship was oating
proudly tho surface, with the colliso holes stu
o Gas am the w sf al and the boat lay
side at the bottom of the tank Yet another pull
OF the lever, and in couple OF seconds the sub
merged model; quyerlng from stem to stern rose
like cork n9 Tss needless five
in length was as you have seen, rendered unsink-
able: but for the purpose of experiment she was
twice allowed touch the bottom. and on each &C.
casion was raised the surface. That was &C:
complished by the use of lqueur glass full OF
short space of time and with proportionate con-
sumption of gas-or ordinary air II you iike.w I'VE
may be smashed below the water line. Had We our
tava in Tlbury Dock in a few hours, and had our
bas been on the ID S Sas Ioc she b %9ud
"But explain the invention to me,
'Tt consists OF number Of independent col
lapsible reservors-airtight and waterproof
which when not in use hang under the deck OF
as the ceilings of cabins and engine-rooms. AS
you see they fold up like concertinas, and when
under the decks. 1t matters not where they are
placed. on deck. or again wherever most con-
flled with liquid carbonic acid, which, by means
OF pines. are connected with the various balloons
case OF one being damaged the others are not
S"These cylinders. TAX. 1t. are charged at the
beginning of voyage?
precisely and at the moment no, . OF danger ing e
causes the gas TO rush into any OF the airbags at
will" .,.,. ,,ooo.
"Ok roughly, speaking, I should say big ocean ..
ike hs PaEs is the Of the
patent-for flco. The invention Is based upon the
IN m Of FORM 1ns 5y FISH NJ g. was
engineer Of the Paris Ecole Central. 1t was only
ent form was adopted. NJ. Dages originated the
balloon idea. only IN his case the bags were placed
in q heavy sea, NJ. Dubois's improvement has been
approved by all who have seen 1t, and some of the
highest authorities III England have expressed their
satisfaction with It,
But isn't the space It will occupy. especially in
a cargo boat. serious objection?
Not at all. Any properly loaded ship has a
vacant space between the cargo and the deck. and
this and any odd spaces on board are more than
sufficient for purposes. The character OF the
airbags is such that by the pressure of the gas
they III themselves automat cally TO the contour
of the cargo. IN the case of passenger ships there
is il is evident to ALL plenty OF room for APP
naratus II must be remembered. too, that Il
would only be In very bad cases that 1t would be
necessary TO fill all the airbags. II would only be
necessary to initiate those in that part OF the ship
that had received damage. But in the worst pos
sible case a ship kept anoat by the airbags-even
II washed by the and unable to steer-would be
perfectly safe until assistance came"