The Washington herald., 1909-05-07

| Convert It into q gigantic steel air
bubble and It viii raise itself-such Is
the new theory and practice OF saving
the ships that go upon the rocks or to
the bottom Of the sea. II Is a compar-
atively new idea. but it has worked where
every other means has failed II was
tried IN Is95 on the great L, ,eo0-toa Bayar-
/ ian, which went onto the rocks IN St.
Lawrence River, and what the salvors
600 the gigantic air bubble was able to
do. 1t was next tested on the s,oo0-ton
Mount Temple. and it was raised. Then
I il was tried on the English cruiser, Glad
I iator, and the American gunboat, Yankee,
with equal success, although the Yankee
went down again. owing 10 a collision
with one OF the tugs towing her. Now
I il Is proposed TO add the Republic 20 the
1 list Of converted air bubbles In this
I case Il Is expected THAI electro-magnets
win aid in the work.
Tie air bubble method OF salvage is,
perhaps, the cheapest yet found. The
first thing to be done is for divers TO go
down and make the hold air-tight. leav-
/ ing only room for the water 10 get out
Then gigantic air pumps are set to work.
pumps that are some million times larger
/ than a bicycle pump. There are valves
/ Just Ike there are in the bicycle tire,
which viii admit the air. but viii not
allow II 20 escape As the air Is forced
/ into the hold. the water must get out.
/ Through a series OF trap doors the men
who are accustomed 20 working under
| compressed air-corresponding 70 the
/ "sandhogs" in subaQUeous tunnels-get
down into the hold and brace the ship
| in every conceivable way, so that II can
withstand the tremendous strain that Is
10 be put upon H. If the job is not done
right Il viii act Just ike q defective
/ pneumatic tire. But II 1t Is done right
there will be no trouble. When all the
water is forced out by the air that is
pumped in. the ship will at once right
] herself. Just az a hollow rubber ball viii
rise 10 the top OF the water. and the
/ towing 20 a haven OF refuge begins.
It's a terrible strain on the new type Of
/ wrecker. He knows not tho moment 4
storm may blow up. and find him IN the
hold with a dozen trapdoors between him
and the top OF the water There are tele-
phones rom the wrecking tugs TO the in
terror, and q lookout is always stationed
above watching for the possible storm
But even with this. precautiUa there IS
stiu many a race with death to the tor
o. the water.
Tie first employment OF the compressed
air system Of steamship raising was made
many years ago. a small schooner had
run on the rocks. After many efforts to
get her or she was abandored-or rather
sold 10 an enterprising adventuTer. He
bought a lot Of empty coal-oil barrels
and when the tide was low filed the hold
with them. first having taken care u
( have each one closed al the bung. He
shored them down well so that they could
not shift. and when the tide next came
along il lifted the schooner clear Of the
/ rocks. The ingenuity OF this man netted
/ him enough 70 buy q good farm
The next step in the direction OF com
pressed air salvage as II IS conducted TO-
I day. vas the invention OF the camel.
! This Is a large iron or steel barrel often
I 10 feet in length by as much as ter
( feet in diameter. Several OF these cam
Z els are fastened 70 the side OF the vessel
al low tide, Il il Is on the rocks, or at any
1 tine Il Il IS below the surface The water
IS then forced out OF them, and their lit
/ inE power becomes equal to the difference
! between their weight and the weight OF
/ the water they displace. which is many
1 tons