The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-09-18
TO SEEK BODIES
ON LUSITAN|A
New Device May Enable Re-
cOvory of Lost Gold Also.
INVENTED BY SIMON LAKE.

Apparatus Has Already Passed Eek.
~perinentaI Stage and tias Proved
successful-$5,ooo,oo 1000 In Gold on Ship
Sunk In 1887 Will Be Sought Also.
Called SemisubmersibIe Tube.
Simon Lake, inventor of the type of
submarine that bears his name, has
evolved an apparatus that can recover
the valuable cargo of the sunken Lusi-
tania and other vessels destroyed by
German submarines. Mr.. Lake. at
Bridgeport, Conn, said:
The apparatus already has proved
successful and has really passed the
experimental stage. | feel confident ii
will be able to recover cargoes from
vessels lying at a depth of 800 feet or
less and that it will be able to raise
sunken vessels completely where they
are lying in water no deeper than 200
feet.
Already we have constructed q full
sized one at Bri~ghtlingsea. on the east
coast of England. and this one will be
used to recover the $5.OO0,000 Of bull
lion that was lost in the British ship
Lutine off the coast of Holland in
1877.
Confident of Success.
There have beer many attempts to
secure this valuable cargo. but all have
ended in disaster. Our attempt will he
made in conjunction with Lloyd's OF
London. If it Is successful, as | be-
lieve 1t will be. there is no reason why
it cannot be used to raise the ships
sunk i'm the war zone, or at least TO re-
cover their cargoes."
The apparatus is known as the semi
submersible tube" Mr.. Lake describes
ii as a long tube. five feet in diameter,
with a large chamber at one end. The
latter is known as the working cham
Der. and ii contains motors. search
lights and other apparatus necessary
to control air pressures.
Just above the working chamber is
a compartment known as the air lock.
1t is i'm this that the operator accus-
toms himself to the pressure at the
particular depth in which he has to,
work before emerging into the cham
Der.
In this working chamber is a lens ar
rangement known as the "aquascope,"
which enables the operator to look out
over the bottom Of the ocean and To-
cate the wreck he is searching. The
semisubmersible tube is fitted to a spe-
cial type OF wrecking steamer.
Locating the Wreck.
Mr.. Lake explains further:
1.-The operator descends into the
chamber by means of a stairway built
into the tube and. after passing through
the air lock, goes into the working
chamber. He then looks through the
aquascope while the steamer slowly
n~avigates around.
"As o as the wreck is located the
operator telephones to the captain of
the wrecking steamer. and the latter
brings his vessel to a stop over the
wreck, following the maneugering di-
r~ections telephoned to him by the OPP
orator. The tube Is then lowered on TO
the deck OF the wrecked vessel.
THE working chamber has a door
on its under Side. The air inside Is
equal in pressure to that of the water
outside. and, as the doors open down
ward, it Is impossible for water to get
into the tube.
when the doors are open the OPP
orator. equipped with a divers outfit,
can step on TO the deck of the wreck
and Immediately begin work on re-
covering the cargo or other things OF
value. The recovered articles are
placed in sings or on hooks and then
hoisted to the surface by the derricks
on the wrecking steamer.
Carries Electric Lights.
1.-THE operator carries with him a
special type of portable electric light
which enables him to see his way
clearly about the sunken vessel.
Crossed lines or cut lines are a con-
slant danger to ordinary divers. but
they have nc qualms for our operator.
because In case of trouble all he has to
do is to walk back to the operating
chamber.
According to reports at the time of
her sinking the Lusitania is resting In
forty fathoms of waterloo feet IL
this depth is correct it would be an
easy matter to recover the bodies i'm
prisoned beneath her decks as well as
her cargo"
For raising sunken steamships, Mr..
Lake says. the same apparatus Is used.
with the exception that it can be OPP
Grated only In depths up TO 200 feet.
The special wrecking steamer de-
vised by Mr.. Lake for use with his