The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-04-17
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square inch. If you multiply the 7,OO0.-
900 square inches by this pressure and
divide by 2,240 representing the
pounds OF long ton-you will hnd
that the superposed sea has laid its
hand upon the body of the Titanic
with weight of more than 14,OO0,OOO
tons.
When afloat and fully laden the
great liner represented a dead weight
Of $4,000 tons. If she be held in the
grip Of the ocean bed. with the sea
further aiding that hold, the a salver
would have to exert a lifting force OF
more than 215 times her service ton
mage In order to free her from the bot
tom. In other words, Mr.. Smith would
have to provide salvage caissons or
camels with an amassed buoyancy
equivalent to an assembled fleet OF
floating Tltanlcs more than 2l5
strong! From financial and engineer
Ing point OF view an undertaking OF
this sort would not be allurlng.
But 1t may be that the wreck OF the
ship is not in this unpromising pre-
dicament How is the Denver inventor
to satisfy himself upon this point?
Mr. Smith has planned as an auxil-
larry type Of submarine boat which Is
to be strong enough to Withstand the
deepest submergence required for the
reaching OF the Titanic wreck. In this
direction the inventor is practically
celebrating on the work Of the noted
Italian submarine engineer, Slgnor
Pine.
The latter designed a type Of globu-
lar submarine, which, because OF its
particular form and the nature OF its
fabrication. would stand up under the
crushing stresses Of very deep sub
mergence. In fact, the boat-if such
1t could strictly be called-was so ar
ranged that increasing pressure actu'
ally served to make the craft more
watertlght.
According to Mr.. Smiths plan,
these submarine auxlllaries will be
lowered from big wrecking steamers
and will obtain their limited propulsive
energy from the electric power plant
Of the surface craft Their purpose
will be two fold: That of locating and
exploring externally the shattered
wreck, and to assist in guiding and in
pushing the powerful magnets into
contact with the steel hull. 1t would
be of the utmost Importance to place
these mechanical leeches where the
internal structure of the Titanic would
be best able to support the lifting
strains.
Lifting magnets are extensively en-
ployed nowadays in big steel plants
and lately have been used also for
the recovery or iron and steel scrap
which has been lost overheard in har-
bors. A we'll known English firm has
built some Of these with a diameter Of
five feet and with a magnetic grip
strong enough to raise a solid mass
of iron or steel weighing IL tons.
One OF the main difficulties in the
use Of magnets is to avoid overheating
them by reason OF the electrical cur
rent turned into them. This element
of temperature has hitherto placed
limits upon their attractive powers,
and especially upon prolonged continu-
Gus service, something that would be
absolutely needful in dealing with such
a project as the lifting of the Titanic
and holding her during the towing into
shallower water However. news has
come from Paris of late announcing AN
important discovery in this matter OF
increasing the strength of magnets
without adding materially to their
size.
Unquestionably the temperature of
the sea water where the Titanic now
lies is very close to the freezing point,
and 1t may be that the Denver engl.
neer counts upon this condition to pre-
mote the efficiency Of his magnets
when first gripping the wreck and
starting 1t surfaceward. AS the matter
stands, however. the present state OF
the art calls for a magnet weighing
about sixty-eight hundredweight to
lift burden Of - tons, If the Titanic
broke just forward of the bridge, ant
II the after section represents two
thirds of her total weight. then the
load to be lifted would be equivalent
to something over $4,000 tons we're the
! vessel afloat. The buoyancy of the