The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-20

London: Divers VINO nave peen
working on the P. and o. steamer Oce-
ana, which was sunk in the English |
channel few weeks ago in collision |
with the German vessel Pisagua, have
had some anxious moments under the |
water owing to the swift currents and
the manner in which the hulk has
been battered. Over S3,5O0,0O0 worth
of gold and silver is lying in the
tain this that the divers are risking
their lives practically every time they
descend. The Ranger has been Sc
cured over the wrecked vessel, and
from her and two of the Oceana's
boats the diving operations are being
conducted. The strong winds that
sweep the channel make the Ranger
bob up and down like a switchback
toboggan. Already $4,000 worth of
gold and silver has been saved, and
the story of how this was won from
the depths makes very thrilling read
ing. Diver Babian toiled along the
Oceana's deck to the strong room aft,
while Lambert, nephew of the ia
nous diver who salved the Alfonso
XII. off the Canary Islands, fought
his way to the specie room in the
fore part. Diving comes as naturally
to Lambert as living. His, family have
dived for generations, and the india
rubber suit is as comfortable to him
as are his clothes. 1t was he who
entered the captains cabin under the
bridge on the hurricane deck and
broke open a writing table to get the
keys of the specie rooms. Twice he
was lifted by the current and washed
out of the room, and twice he strug-
gled back, clinging to anything his
hands touched, and bracing himself
against the flood. And the tide that
threatened to sweep him off the
wreck was running in the opposite
direction to the tide that flowed on
the surface! He had no electric
lamp; lamps are almost useless in
this wreck, because the currents have
stirred up the sand so that the water
is as thick as soup.
The Oceana will never be raised.
She lies athwart the tides, batter
ed disabled monster, her deck strewn
with debris, the planks of her fore
deck torn and gaping; and a great
V-shaped wound has shattered her
port side from keel to taffrail. The
Pisagua's bowsprit has raked the
liners deck like a great broom-handle,
piercing where it could not break
The bottom of the ship lies firmly en-
bedded in the sand, two masts have
been snapped off since she sank, and
her tunnels have been crushed like
: tin and lie across her deck. The Ger
man ship which passed over her and
carried away the two masts has add
ed chaos to confusion. The deck
houses have been smashed, davits are
broken and twisted, the taffrail is
bent like old iron. And in and out
of the sad, indescribable mass OF
wreckage a fash of silver OCCASION
ally glistens for a moment and glints
near the helmets of the men who seek
the gold. That flash of white is fish
come to visit the new addition to the
: oceans museum.
The tide which washed Lambert of
his feet also played battledore anc
shuttlecock with diver Fabian, who
J descended to the bullion-room situat
ed aft. Fabian crawled along the
deck, guided only by the white-paint
ed cabins, till he reached hatchwal
No. 4. Scrambling down the stairs
he gained the strong room, but no Ike!
could open it, nor would his jemm
prize the lock. He had to signal t
, the Ranger above for special tackle
. which was lowered, and then, in tn
] darkness, he tore the door open ant