Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1912-11-22

II IL WOulQ pTODdDly COSI HUI
to raise her and repair her
than to build a 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, a danger to
navigation generally, and then she is
sometimes blown to pieces by judi.
ciously placed charge of dynamite.
1t is usually worth while, however
to save parts of 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, If gold or silver-either in the
form of coins or bars-be part of
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 a 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 it will
result in the divers death.
About thirty-five 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 undercurrents. The
diver when in the water is the plav.
thing of the currents. Robert Io,is
stevenson, who once ventured on
diving 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 nv
the currents. 1t 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 IL
1t was not there. The under current
had carried it away 1t is obviors
therefore, that diving in places where
tide or current runs strongly is VOW
difficult
And most salvage operations denend
entirely upon the diver. Suppose that
a ship is sunk in collision. He frst
goes down and examines the wrecL
Upon his report it is decided wbetbor
it is worth while to attempt to salve
the ship as whole. 1t not, he NAV ho
told to salve the brass fittings so dow
he will go again and again. with too,a
for the work and will remove
from the ship and send up all thar ho
can procure that is worth saving
If there be treasure on board h.
the man who will have to get it ua
may be able to make his wav 70 ~
place where it is kept by the ordinaru
means, but sometimes he will have ~
blast holes in the vessels hull in oraau
TO OBTAIN access to it. Hundreds of
thousands Of pounds have hao.
fetched from the sea in this man..
"metimes there are among the nar
go things which are worth s.vi'
and the diver has to get them out TO-
siIallar methods ~
If the whole wreck is To he so,
ne mas even more difficult ssats r.
9eflof"- For example. a very CO...