The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-30
THWART
 GERMANS SUBS; : LOCATE VESSELS
Automatic. Device Marks Spot of Torpedoed Ship
 Aids Salvage

The latest plan for marking the location of torpedoed ships to aid in the raising of such vessels calls for an equipment of a series of buoys which rise to the surface when the ship is sunk. They are connected by light cables to the submerged vessel and besides marking it's posi- ton provide bearings by which the survivors in lifeboats may stay to- gether until help arrives.
 The buoys contain coils of cable which unreels as the ship goes down. Access to the cable is later obtained through an opening in the top of the buoy or "f1oater," and the vessel may then be raised by powerful cranes and lowed to shallow water.
 E. T. Jones, chief electrician, Radio U. s. N. R. F.. is the origina- tor of the newest plan for salvaging sunken steamships. The plan is out lined by MT. Jones in a recent issue of the Electrical Experimenter.
 ''It is of course taken into consider ation," writes MT. Jones. Eff the ship were sunk in mid-ocean, that the cable could not be long enough, in LdCL LIl0 OuOy WOulu nave tO D0 lOO large, but if each ship were fitted with these buoys and a reasonable amount of cable inserted in each it would be no more than taking another chance, but this time a chance which would probably save the ship.
 "The buoys themselves could even be supplied with food when nearing the danger zone and should the ship be sunk this food could be used by the victims until relief came. Means of holding on to the buoy could also be supplied and add to the life saving | devices now supplied on board every ship.
 Several details of importance would have to be taken into consid- | eration with such a device as this. For one thing the enemy would surely cut the cables if the buoys f1oated to the surface as soon as the ship sank Some kind of retarding device, such as a slow-emptying ballast tank, would solve this problem, so that the buoys would float to the surface only after a period of several hours.
 ''Burther, it is not feasible as
 
 with a great length of heavy cable. Therefore, it would seem a good idea to equip the buoys with reels of fine steel wire only, which could then be of considerable length, owing to it's light weight. Under each buoy posi- ton on the vessel there could be pro- vided a magazine chamber in the hold, in which a suitable length of heavy steel cable could be stored on a reel. The action of the buoys so equipped would then be as follows:
 "Say the vessel was torpedoed; the eight or more buoys would, after sev- eral hours, float to the surface, carry ing their fine wire connections from the sunken craft. If now salvage op- erations are to be started in an effort to raise the wreck, the buoy covers are opened and by pulling up on the small wires, automatic clutches are released on the deck of the sunken boat, permitting the heavy cable in the magazines to be pulled up. After the heavy cables are all pulled up to the surface. they are made fast to the lifting derricks. For that matter it would also be practical to arrange a second buoy to float the heavy cable to the surface, this buoy being re- leased by pulling on the fine guide wires already described. The buoys would be fitted with a storage or other battery to light the lamp and an automatic switch to close the lamp circuit after the buoy reached the surface" .t+- -,