The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-02-28
The Romance of Wreck-Raising.
Ey FRANK II. BCIIEN.

u.
which, in the hands OF her able mas.
ter may exert tremendous leverage
when assisted by a rising tide. For
When all machinery has been taken
into account, IL still remains true. as
l nave before noted, that the most
! potent factor in wreck raising is the
tide, when utilized By scientific skill.
The salving ship -. besides. a per.
fectly equipped workshop, with all
! sorts or engineering appliances
whereby special tools may be impro.
vised TO meet sudden needs arising in
special cases. An all important item
OF her equipment is her electrical in.
stallation for the working of search.
lights and arc lights of great power.
An air COMPRISING plant is neces.
sary for the working of the pneu.
matte tools which form so important
a part Of the divers equipment. a
complete telephone service is also
carried, In order that the submarine
workers may communicate freely
with those above who are ATTENDING
TO their needs.
Such a vessel, although Of only
some 500 tons gross register, will
carry about 100 men, every one OF
whom will be carefully selected for
his ability in some trade, such as car.
pentry, blacksmithing. engine work,
diving or electrical engineering, and
especially for his readiness TO 20
anywhere and do anything at the
word OF command, whether IL be HE
special duty or not.
These are men who look upon the
successful accomplishment OF a lob
as prize In itself far above the
mere monetary value OF the wages
they receive and so faithfully earn.
The conditions under which they
work are the most strenuous and
dangerous imaginable, and toll as
they will, the sea may rise in its
might just as they are about TO
achieve the summit of their desires.
and bring their labors all to naught.
The steamship Milwaukee. of sew.
enty-three hundred and twenty-three
tons, ran out on an outlying reef OF
rocks in one of the most exposed po-
sitiOns on the northeast coast of Eng
land, and was damaged so badly that
her total loss appeared certain. Heavy
weather was constant, and the grind.
ing OF the great hull upon the Jagged
rock surfaces beneath made it appear
impossible that anything could be
done 70 save her.
But the Liverpool Salvage Associa.
tion took the job in hand. and the
able man in charge Of the wreckins
steamer decided that while It was not
possible to save her entire, the most
valuable half OF her was salvable.
An attack was made upon the ship
in spite OF the exceedingly perilous
conditions, and the bulkhead imme-
diately forward OF the engine room
was first strengthened. Then charges
of dynamite enclosed in rubber tubes
were fastened TO the sides Of the yes
sci, and exploded with such good ef-
feet that she was completely divided.
The very valuable after part, with its
engines and boilers, was dragged off
the rocks and towed into Newcastle.
where new fore end was built on
to her, and she began again her ca
reer Of usefulness.
Another case is that of a STEAMSHIP
sunk in eleven fathoms OF water of
the coast OF ireland, to which the
salving vessel was attached with
stout chains swept under the bottom
OF the sunken ship and hauled or
hove tight at low water. Then, when
the tide made, the buoyancy of the
salving vessel lifted the wreck.
Steaming shoreward until the wreck
again touched bottom. she waited
until the tide ran out, when the
wreck was patched up, foated. and
taken into harbor
Such a method as this last can. OF
course. be applied only to a sunken
vessel of moderate size. A large
ship like one of the modern liners
can only be salved by much more
costly and tedious methods IL she has
sunk.
Hunting For Treasure.
The search for sunken treasure
! has been for the wreck raiser a veri.
table will-o' '-the-wisp. and 1t is GER
| tain that more money has been sunk
| in il than will ever be recovered.
In the first place, it must be re-
membered that great as is the devel-
opment OF engineering skill. the pres
sure of the water beyond certain
depths effectually prevents the diver
| from working; the human machinery,
which always has the last word, gives
out. and search becomes impossible.
Again. in shallower water. the an
cient treasure ship has become COM
pletely overlaid by the sand. ooze.
and weed of centuries accumulation
while the disintegrating forces at
work have often dissipated the ship.
and allowed the imperishable gold
pieces TO be dispersed in the soft.
I