The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-21
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 half years at
least 80 per cent have been raised
from the bottom of the sea. The or
ganization responsible-the Admiralty
Salvage department--is composed en-
tirely of experts employed by COM
mercial firm which engaged I'm the busi-
ness before the war. Ships were so
cheap then, however, that often 1t did
not pay to raise q 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 1,5O0
tons was the greatest weight that
could be lifted from under water by
wire ropes. A sunken government col-
lier that was obstructing fafrway
was lifted out of the mud recently and
carried away by four lifting ships, with
sixteen 9-inch wire ropes, and the
deadweight carried was calculated at
2,750 tons. The wreck was shifted
one mile at the first lift, and so was
gradually taken to the beach, patched
up 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 Lusitania.
Ships sunk in deep water cannot be
salved. 1t Is not expected that the
Lusitania. for example, will ever be
lifted. Divers cannot work In more
than 25 fathoms successfully, though
for special purposes they may some
times go down to 35 fathoms for a
brief spell of work.
The bulk of the ships saved have
been sunk i'm 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 heavy explosion and the
decks were flooded with burning oil.
The cargo consisted largely of benzine.
Most persons would conclude that the
case was hopeless. Not so. The ves-
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 vessel foated and was
] forthwith taken to a repairing port.
New Pump Is Valuable.
AS showing how valuable Is the new
submersible electric motor pump, a
recently torpedoed ship which carried
cargo (mainly foodstuffs) Of more
: than $15OOOOO0 value had a hole 40
: feet long by 28 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 ves-
sci taken higher up the beach. Then
the tightening process was continued
: until the vessel was foated 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 tc
. 1917 was 260. All these vessels were
2 of big tonnage. For the present year
the monthly totals of such vessels
salved were: January, IA; February
Al; March, 81; April, SO, and May, 10
Thus the department has saved 4Ol
/ important vessels Of the mercantile
marine. This does not include vessel!
9 salved outside of home waters.
The larger figures Of the latter pc
riod were due, not to increased enem!
activity but to improved salvage meth
DDS.
> Many risks are run by the divers
particularly from gases generated b.
decomposed vegetables and meat IL
u the holds Of sunken ships, deaths hay
y ing resulted from this cause. Grain,
II seems, develops sulphuretted hydro
e gen, which occasions blindness an
violent sickness.
A chemist, however, has found
y preparation which when sprayed on
1 rotting cargo Immediately kills tn
e gases and enables men to carry Q
Il