Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-05
DEVICE TO RAISE SHIPS
Japanese Inyents Apparatus For
Use of Deep Sea Divers.
MAY SAVE RUSSIAN WARSHIPs
Takao lwanmi of Washington Gets
Patent on Invention Which Is Said to
Make Work Under Water Easy at
Twice the Depth Possible Heretofore.

MAKE WORK OnoeF WateF Easy az
Twice the Depth Possible Heretofore.
Evolution of the marine world, the
raising of battleships that have been
sunk, the bringing TO the surface of
treasure vessels that went to the bot
tom years and years ago as we'll as
sunken merchant boats In all parts of
the world, is promised by the inven-
ton Of a Washington nan. japanese.
whose ingenious brain has been ut
work at the task long time, prinei-
pslly for the benefit of his own nation
to enable it to gain possession of Rus
sian battleships lost in the late war.
writes a Washington correspondent of
the Chicago Post
Takao Iwanmi, a Japanese employed
in the drafting division of the South
ern railway in Washington, has invent
ed diving apparatus with which eff
forts are to be made to raise the ships
of war that were sunk during the en-
gagements between Japan and Russia.
Two of the sunken vessels are of the
Russian type, while the same lumber
are those of the inventors native land
The ships are at the bottom of the sea,
all within a radius Of ten miles froIl
Por arthur.
Iwanmi has been at work on the In
vention five years. Only recently has
he perfected the outfit, however, and
not long ago he had his apparatus pat
eDted. The inventor has been In Wash
ington several years. He is of an in
ventive turn of mind and has many
other devices that he is laboring on
from time to time.
The feature of Iwanmrs diving suit
is his claim that 1t will allow the diver
to go to u depth of 300 feet in the wa
ter. This has been the weak point of
other inventions of this character, ow-
ing to the fact that they We're not
made to resist the pressure of the wa
ter below something like $50 feet. An
other feature of Iwanmrs apparatus
Is that by means of the pumping ma
chinery and the lines OF hose the man
at work far below the waters surface
will be able to remain at his task for
hours at a time.
The air viii be supplied by ma
chine which is run by storage bat
terry. The floating paraphernalia will
be different from that now in use, In
that 1t will not be boat, but vertical
floating buoy This will contain an
assistant or two and the air machinery
leading to the man working 800 feet
below
After reaching the vessel as it rests
on the bottom of the sea it will be com
paratively an easy task to bring the
old hull to the surface. Having gained
his point, the diver will set about to To-
cate the holes and openings in the
wrecked ship. If the ship went down.
as did those of the Russians and the
Japanese as well, the holes made by
the shot and shell will be found and
repaired. Then the portfolios, the
matches and the gangways will be In
spected and where necessary repaired
to such an extent that they will be-
come water tight. After this task has
been completed additional apparatus
will be brought into use. and the work
of pumping the water from the hull
will be started.
Holes will be bored in the sides Of
the ship. and into these pipe lines will
be extended. The line will be attach
ed to powerful pumping engines In a
vessel on the waters surface, and slow
~ but surely the water from the inside
of the wrecked boat will be brought
out. When this has been accomplish
Oh laA 10 nh lao fsafn
porarY anchors removed, and, accord
ing to all calculations o. the inventor,
the steel hull will ascend rapidly to the
top. Here it will be attached to line
and lowed to the nearest shipyard, to
once again enter the service OF the ma
rine shipping interest Of the world.
Iwanmi has already received an Of
fer for one of bis diving suits. He is
to receive $3.50 for 1t as soon as
placed aboard a ship consigned to the
parties interested, who are in Japan.
The apparatus is to be made In Balu
more. 1t will be much like other div
ing suits, but will be made stronger by
the use of steel ribs. These ribs will
be all through the rubber, about half
an inch apart and will make 1t posi-
BILE for the diver to 60 to much
greater depth and stand the water
pressure thar has ever been accom-
plished by means Of the other inven-
lions. Eventually Iwanmi expects to
turn his attention altogether to the
business which will be brought about
by means of his invention.