Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-13
CAN'T KEEP 4
GOOD SHIP DOWN
Half of Torpedoed Craft of Great
Britain Have Been
Salvaged.
METHODS GREATLY IMPROVED
Much Greater Weights Than Believed
Possible Are Now Being Lifted
No Hope Of Ever Raising
Lusitania.

London.-Of 400 British ships sunk
In the last two and a half years at
least SO per cent have been raised
from the bottom of the sea. The or
g~anization responsible-the Admiralty
Salvage departments composed en-
tirely of experts employed by a com
mercial firm which engaged in the busi-
ness before the war. Ships were so
cheap then, however, that often 1t did
not pay to raise a sunken wreck and
restore her to seagoing condition.
Things are very different now, and
the result is that invention has been
stimulated to an extraordinary extent
1t used to be considered that 1900
tons was the greatest weight that
could be lifted from under water by
wire ropes. A sunken government col-
lier that was obstructing a fairway
was lifted out Of the mud recently and
carried away by four lifting ships, with
sixteen 9inch wire ropes, and the
lightweight carried was calculated at
1850 tons. The wreck was shifted
one mile at the first lift, and so was
gradually taken to the beach, patched
ND and sent off to the repairing yard.
She went back into service and made
several voyages before a torpedo end
ed her career altogether.
Cannot Raise L~usitania.
Ships sunk In deep water cannot be
salved. 1t is not expected that the
Lusitania. for example, win ever be
lifted. Divers cannot work in more
than % fathoms successfully, though
for special purposes they may some
times go down to 80 fathoms for a
brief spell Of work.
The bulk of the ships saved have
been sunk in less than 20 fathoms. or
have been towed inshore by rescue
tugs, and have gone aground in fairly
easy positions.
The salvage men face considerable
risks, not only from bad weather but
also from submarine attack. Only one
salvage ship. however, has been lost
through enemy action.
One Of the largest oil tank steam
ships was mined and caught fire.
There was a heavy explosion and the
decks we're flooded with burning oil.
The cargo consisted largely of benzine.
Most persons would conclude that the
case was hopeless. Not so. The YES
sci was scuttled by gun fire and thus
the fire was extinguished. Then divers
plugged all the shot holes, besides clos
ing other apertures. On being pump
ed out the weasel fioated and was
forthwith taken to a repairing port.
New gimp Is Valuable.
As showing how valuable is the new
gubmersible electric motor pump, a
recently torpedoed ship which carried
a cargo (mainly foodstuffsl Of more
than $15.000.O00 value had a hole 40
feet long by % feet deep In her side.
She was taken In tow by rescue tugs.
but went down before time had served
to beach her suitably. No ordinary
pumping power would have served the
need, but the new type pump enabled
~stokehold. engine room and all her af-
ter holds to be pumped out. so that
cargo could be discharged and the YES
sci taken higher up the beach. Then
the tightening process was continued
until the vessel was hoated and taken
into dock, practically all her cargo be-
ing saved
The number of the ships of the mer-
camille marine actually salved by the
department In two years from 1915 to
1917 was 260. All these vessels were
Of big tonnage. For the present year
the monthly totals Of such vessels
salved were: January, Il; February,
a; March. 81; April, 36. and May, 10.
Thus the department has saved 4O7
important vessels of the mercantile
marine. This does not include vessels
salved outside Of home waters.
The larger figures Of the latter pc
Rod were due. not to increased enemy
activity but to improved salvage meth
DDS.
Many risks are run by the divers.
particularly from gases generated by
decomposed vegetables and meat In
the holds OF sunken ships. deaths hav-
ing resulted from this cause. Grain. 1t
seems. develops sulphuretted hydro
gen, which occasions blindness and
violent sickness.
A chemist. however, has found o
preparation which when sprayed on q
rotting cargo Immediately kills the
gases and enables men to carry on
their work In safety.