The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-11-15
S a general rule a ship which
has been badly damaged and
sunk is not worth raising.
\ 1t would probably cost more


A sunk is not worth raising.
1t would probably cost more
to raise her and repair her
than to build q new ship.
Her value as old iron, on the other
hand, would not pay for raising and
breaking up. She may, however, be in
the way of other ships, danger to
navigation generally, and then she is
sometimes blown to pieces by a judi
ciously placed charge of dynamite.
1t is usually worth while, however,
to save parts of a wreck, If by any
means they can be got at. Brass
work, for example, is of sufficient
value to be worth getting, and, Of
course, II gold or silver-ether in the
the cargo, then it is certainly worth
an attempt.
Sometimes even that is impossible.
because of the depth at which the
wreck lies. AS diver descends the
water pressure increases, and to keep
him from being crushed by it the pres
sure of air in his dress has to be in
creased to the same extent, and there
Is limit to the amount of air pres
sure which man can stand. The
main trouble is that his blood becomes
aerated under the pressure.
It's condition becomes like that of
soda water in a corked bottle, and as
soon as he commences to ascend and
the pressure is reduced it becomes
like soda water with the cork out.
The nitrogen which was forced into
! 1t by the pressure comes bubbling out
as the pressure falls, and if this be
allowed to occur too vigorously 1t will
result in the divers death.
About thirty-f1ve fathoms is the
limit below which man cannot go,
and even at that, if the diver has to
stay down any lengthof time, he must
ascend again by easy stages with long
intervals of rest for his blood to get
rid of the absorbed air; SO that his
ascent will take as much as four
hours. Four hours spent in coming
to the surface after but one hours
work below-five or more hours
wages for one hours work to an ex.
pensive man like diver. to say moth
ing Of the wages of his attendants
makes deep water diving an expensive
matter, and beyond the limit men.
toned is out of the question alto
gether.
Diving In Strong Currents.
Then there is the trouble caused by
strong tides and Inducements. The
diver when in the water is the play.
thing of the currents. Robert Louis
Stevenson, who once ventured on a
dying expedition, describes himself as
being blown sideways like a leaf
when in the water. Even large, heavy
bodies like ships of iron are some.
times carried to long distances by
the currents. It is said that the naval
authorities have thus lost entirely an
old submarine which they sank for
the purpose of trying salvage expert.
ments.
They knew the spot where it went
down, but when they tried to salve II
1t was not there. The under current
had carried it away. 1t is obvious
therefore, that diving in places where
tide or current runs strongly Is very
difficult.
And most salvage operations depend
entirely upon the diver. Suppose that
ship is sunk in collision. He frs,
goes down and examines the wreck
Upon his report it is decided whethe,
It Is worth while to attempt to salve
the ship as a whole. It not, he may b,
told to salve the brass fittings, so dowr
he will go again and again. with tool,
suitable for the work and will remove
from the ship and send up all that be
can procure that 10 worth saving.
II there be treasure on board he /,
the man who will have to get it. HI
may be able to make his way to the
place whore It 10 kept by the ordinar,
means. but sometimes he will have t.
blast holes In the vessels hull In orde,
70 obtain access to It. Hundreds 81
Thousands Of pounds have beer
1 fetched from the sea In this name,
Somstimes there are among the car
60 things which are worth sayins
and the diver has 70 get them out 5,
similar methods. 3ss,
II the whole wreck 10 70 be sayet
he has even more didiculti feats i
| perform. For example. Il sssiy - -
tsY5SsS y