The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1917-07-25
Divers Get to Treasure Ship
After Years Of Vain Effort



After lying for more than half GEN.
fury on the rocks and clay that form
the bottom of Lake Huron Off Thunder
Bay island, south and east of Alpena,
the treasure stored In the hold of the
steamer Pewabic, sunk Aug. 0, 1865,
In waters far beyond the depth at
which the diver hitherto has been able
to work, is now being brought to the
surface safely and without trouble.
says the Detroit Free Press.
With the raising of "clam" load
of relics from the long sunken steamer,
came at once the breaking of worlds
record I'm deep sea salvage, the frultion
of the three years efforts of small
party of Toledoans and Detroiters to
prove deep sea salvage possible and
the end of story that was already
treading on the border land of inland
seas legend.
Lives Given In Search.
For the Pewabic is treasure ship
in truth. Men have given their lives
to reach her treasure in vain. For
tunes have been wasted in the efforts
to reach the prize cargo $50 feet under
the surface Of the water. Now her
treasure-pure copper-is coming up.
Some Of 1t passed Detroit recently on
the way to Toledo, together with q
mass of other relics from the long lost
vessel.
In the hold of the Pewabic lie nearly
300 tons Of copper, worth 100000 or
more at the present market. Besides
the copper, there are several hundred
tons of pig iron. What else Of value
lies beneath Thunder bay waters Is
conjectural. There was story that
there was $4,000 or $4,000 of specie
in the boats express safe, but this Is
= denied by Captain George p. Mckay
of Cleveland, now treasurer Of the
Lake Carriers association, who was
master of the vessel when she sank.
There is also a story Of belt owned
by a woman passenger, which was
said to contain large diamond and q
large sum Of money.
Divers Find Skeletons.
1t is fact that one of the passen-
gers, who was saved, offered a reward
of 81 900 for the recovery of his trunk.
His name has been long since forgot
ten.
In the hold of the vessel divers found
a number of skeletons.
II okt ho
powerful of all barriers to deep sea
work - water pressure has been
brought about by the "armored diving
suit" constructed on novel lines by b.
F. Leavitt of Toledo. Leavitt made
his "suit" more than a divers suit.
1t is in reality almost submarine"
Constructed of phosphor bronze, it car
ries its own air supply, condensed,
sufficient for four hour stay under
water. What this means In divers
work may be best understood by ex-
planning that at seventy-five feet, the
limit for practical work by the pres
ent day diver, human being can
stand the pressure for about fifteen
minutes.
Up ON Thunder bay the men going
down to the Pewabic descend nearly
three times the hitherto practical depth
and remain four hours. At seventy
five feet the diver heretofore could
armOred incasement the diver can
scarcely move at seventy-hve feet.
The pressure Is insufficient to counter
balance the great weight of his suit.
At $50 feet he begins to move freely.
Projecting from the Leavitt suit and
working In water tight sockets are two
steel fingers, manipulated by the hand,
which is free in the big sleeve, COM
posed of flexible copper bands covered
with heavy rubber.
Leavitt 0utdoes Hawaii Divers.
When the FL, United States subma-
rine, sank off Hawaii harbor several
years ago in 23G feet of water worlds
records were made in diving to attach
chains and hoist her.
Three divers reached her. One was
brought up dead. Another came back
with his lungs burst, and the third was
brought to the surface a maniac.
Leavitt in demonstration on Grand
Traverse bay descended 800 feet, or
1876 feet deeper than did the F-4 div
ers. and came to the surface feeling as
well as when he descended. He re-
manned at that depth forty-five min
utes.
The future is too clouded with I'M
certainty to warrant predictions, but
the work on the Pewabic seems to in
dictate that untold wealth will be raised
from the bottom of ocean and inland
sea. The great lakes alone will yield
fortunes.
Along the jaws Of sawtooth reef, OF
Keeweenaw peninsula, Lake Superior,
lie scores of cargoes of iron and cop
per. Year after year boat after boat
with Minnesota's wealth Of iron and
Micnigan's wealth of copper has sunk
In Lake Superior.
Many Of them lie less than 100 feet