The diamond drill., 1913-08-09
REEF MAY HAVE
WRECKED TITANIC
Part of Vessels Hull Sighted
at Scene Of Disaster.
PROTRUOED FROM WATER.

Report OF Liners Captain Believed 10
be Important by Naval ohicisl--may
Establish Contention That Ship Was
Torn by Sunken Ledge as Well as
by Giant Iceberg.
Much OF the mystery that surround
ed the sinking OF the White Star liner
Titanic on April IA. 1912, may be dis
PEELED by the discovery OF a wreck, be-
lieved 10 be part OF the hulk OF the III
starred vessel. standing on end In the
Atlantic ocean of the grand banks OF
Newfoundland. practically In the spot
where the disaster occurred
Captain Remnant of the British
steamship Luciline, which arrived at
Philadelphia from Bordeaux some time
ago. reported sighting the derelict, and
the United States photographic ofice
has begun an investigation 30 learn
more about the wreck. Lieutenant
Commander Landenberger, United
States photographer. stationed In Phil
adelphia. attaches much importance to
the report.
May be Titanic.
Should the wreckage sighted by the
Luciline prove 10 be part of the re
mains OF the Titanic the story OF the
memorable wreck would be rewritten.
The fact that after more than year
the hulk stands vertically in the
waves, protruding eight feet or more
above the surface. would indicate that
a submerged ledge OF rock had pre-
vented the wreck from going 10 the
actual bottom OF the sea. II such
ledge exists-and evidences OF one
were reported as long ago as 1872
then Il is regarded as possible that the
laundering OF the Titanic was caused
by the hidden obstruction ripping open
her hull as much as by her collision
with the iceberg
Should these theories prove 90 be
facts, Captain Smith. who was in
command OF the Titanic and perished
when his vessel went down, might be
absolyed, It is said. OF the charge OF
lack OF vigilance and damage suits
against the International Mercantile
Marine based on the disaster would
fall, admiralty lawyers say, FOR the
same reason
Captain Remnant of the Luciline be
lleves that what he saw was the
wreck Of the Titanic or part OF II. II
was covered with marine growth of
comparatively recent formation, tend
20. gh 81.
water little more than year. It had
the appearance. Captain Remnant said |
OF being held down by anchors In shoal |
water and OF being buoyed up by wa
ter tight compartments He IL OF the !
opinion that IL was the forward part
OF the Titanic. which. II was said, split |
In two just before IL sank
Sunken Ledge May Exist.
Mariners say there is every reason
TO believe the existence OF n submerg
ed ledge OF rock at or near the spot
where the Titanic was DESTROYED.
Three different distractions OF such
a character have been reported and
the calculations OF the position OF the
grave or the Titanic as well as those
OF the sunken rocks and Of the wreck
reported 10y Captain Remnant are all
Lieutenant Commander Landenberg-
er, United States photographer, said
In discussing the report that the mat
ter Is one of the utmost Importance.
He asserted that the government |
should dispatch surveying vessel 70 |
the scene OF the disaster TO establish
or disprove at once the existence OF
the sunken ledge and TO ascertain II
possible II the wreck seen by the Brit
ish officer was that Of the III fated |