The sun., 1918-07-28
CAN'T KEEP A
GOOD SHIP DOWN
Half Of the TorpedOed Ships of
Great Britain Have Been
Salvaged.
METHODS ARE IMPROVED
Much Greater Weights Than
Believed Possible Are
Being Lifted.
METHODS ARE IMPROVED

LONDON. July 1917 400 British ships
sunk in the last two and "a half years a.
least so per cent. have been raised from
the bottom OF the sea. The organiza-
ton responsible--the Admiralty Salvage
DEPARTMENTS composed entirely of ex-
perts employed by commercial firm
which engaged in the business before
the war. Ships were so cheap then.
however, that often it 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 stimu-
lated to an extraordinary extent.
Ii used TO be considered that 1900
tons was the greatest weight that could
be lifted from under water by wire ropes.
A sunken Government collier that was
obstructing a fairway was lifted out OF
the mud recently and carried away by
four lifting ships. with sixteen inch
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 up and sent OFF to the repairing
yard, She went back into service and
made several voyages before a torpedo
ended her career altogether.
Cannot Raise Lusitania.
Ships sunk in deep water cannot be
salved. 1t is not expected that the
Lusitania, for example. viii ever be
lifted. Divers cannot work in more than
twenty-five fathoms successfully, though
for special purposes they may sometimes
go down to thirty-tive fathoms for a
brief spell Of work.
The bulk Of the ships saved have been
sunk in less than twenty fathoms. or
have been towed inshore by rescue tugs
and have gone aground In fairly easy
positions.
The salvage men face considera bic
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 steamships
was mined and caught fire. There was
heavy. explosion and the decks were
flooded with burning oil. The cargo con-
sisted largely of benzine- Most persons
would conclude that tho case was hope
less Dot so. The vessel was scutt led
by gun fire and thus the fire was extin-
guished. Then divers plugged all the
shot holes, besides closing other aper-
lures. On being pumped out the vessel
foated and was forthwith taken TO re-
pairing port
New Pump Is Valuable.
As showing how valuable IL the new
submersible electric motor pump, a re-
Gently torpedoed ship which carried a
cargo (mainly foodstuffs) Of moro than
Sic, 100000 value had hole 40 feet long
by 20 feet deep I'm 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 after holds TO
be pumped out, so that cargo could be
discharged and the vessel taken higher
up the beach. Then the Tightening
process was continued until the vessel
was floated and taken into dock. prac-
tlcally all her cargo being saved.
The number of the ships of the mar
camille marine actually salved by the
department in two years from 1915 to
1917 was 26O. All these vessels were of
big tonnage. For the present year the
monthly totals of such vessels salved
were: January, II; February, Al;
March. 81; April 36. and May. 10. Thus
the department has saved 407 important
vessels of the mercantile marine. This
does not include vessels salved outside
Of home waters.
The larger figures of the latter period
were due. not to increased enemy activ-
ity but to improved salvage methods.
Many risks are run by the divers. par
ticularly from gases generated by de-
composed vegetables and meat in the
holds of sunken ships. deaths having
resulted from this cause. Grain, 1t
seems. develops sulphuretted hydrogen,
which occasions blindness and violent
sickness.
A chemist, however. has found a
prepa ion which Uhan apraua1 An 4,
rotting cargo Immediately kills the
gases and enables men to carry on their
work in safety.