Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-08-05
TO SALVAGE
SUNKEN CARC0ES
American Ingenuity Makes Prac-
ticabIe Reclamation of In
valuable Supplies.
WILL BE GREAT INDUSTRY
One Of Greatest Coal Fields In World
Lies of Atlantic Coast-To Be
Brought Up by subma-
rine Salvaglno.

fields In the world lies off the Allan
tic coast from Norfolk, Va, to Bos-
ton. 1t is made up OF cargoes of
sunken ships which lie on the floor
OF the ocean, and soon will be brought
to the surface by means of great
after~war Industry, known as the sub
marine salvaging of sunken cargoes,
which will be the means of reclaim
Ing millions of tons of coal, scrap iron
and other raw products long since
abandoned as lost.
The United States is taking the lead
of all nations in fostering this great
industry which grew out of the war,
when the efficiency of the submarine
as monster of frlghtfulness was
submarine to come into its own as a
great reclamation agency.
In Long Island sound there lie a
million tons of coal, of which, 1t lis es-
timated by salvaging experts, at least
20 per cent is reclaimable at cost of
about % cents per ton. Reclaimed
coal sells at the market price of $40
or $40 a ton.
BY means of the salvaging subma-
rine 1t is possible to cover 20 square
miles of ocean bottom day In search
ing for sunken hulks. Once a wreck
is located 1t will be q simple matter,
now that the salvaging submarine is
as perfect as the torpedoing subma-
rine, to reclaim 300 tons an hour, and
to locate half a dozen ships In as
many hours.
Coal All Along Coast.
Along the sound from Bridgeport to
Norfolk. Conn.,, 10000 tons of coal
were sunk last year alone. Similar
coal wealth awaits finder all along
the coast, for, according to marine
rulings, findings Is keepings," and the
finder of the sunken cargo is the
owner.
The reclaiming of wealth given up
ii sank Is TO be one of the most fer
tile fields Of production of the recon-
struction period. The perfection of
the salvaging submarine makes pos
sible and practical an enterprise that
was beyond the scope of the most dar-
ing and doughty divers who sought to
find sunken cargoes.
This is illustrated by a comparison
of the work of the old-time divers
with the mechanical work of the sal
vaging submarine. A diver named
Hooper held the record for immersion
when he went down $50 feet in 1884
to reclaim the gold which sank in the
Alphonso XII off the Canary islands.
Hooper made 10 different trips to
the wreck in as many months. So
arduous and fatiguirg was the descent
that he was able to remain only 10
minutes each time before he signaled
for the return journey. 1t took him
four hours to make the descent be-
cause of the necessity of accustoming
his body by degrees to the increased
pressure. The last time he went down
he became paralyzed and was obliged
to come up leaving $150,000 in gold
behind him-which still awaits find
er. In all he brought up S350,00O.
Today the salvaging submarine
goes down at the rate of foot a
second, and the diver can remain a
month in 1t If he desires, working an
eight-hour day or however long his
day may be. The materials salvaged
are pumped to the surface by means
of a 15-inch pipe. which will bring up
800 tons of coal or scrap iron in an
hour, and place it on the deck of a
cargo carrying steamer nearby. An
entire cargo is thus salvaged in a few
hours, and the work of locating and
salvaging another wreck Immediately
undertaken.
Works Many Economies.
In the matter of economy Of time
and money, the saving of the strength
of the divers and in locating with
dexterity the whereabouts of sunken
cargoes, the salvaging submarine COM
pares with the old-time method of
picking up materials from the oceans
bed as does high power motorcar
with one-horse shay.
Coal is decidedly improved by a
repose Of many years under sea, for
marine salts enter its porous exterior
and increase its power of combustion
for both domestic and Industrial
uses.
Pig iron has been salvaged after a
stay of 100 years In the farthest
depths. Rails are brought up In good
condition also. Copper bars, brass
and all sorts Of machinery are recov-
cred In good condition. for although
every metal has a different life, the
sediment In the water forms a coating
over the materials and preserves
them. If copper and steel are near
each other in a cargo, the copper Will
eat the steel and destroy 1t. so strong
is the electrolytic action.
The scrap iron reclaimed In this
way is sorted out, some going to roll
Ing mills, others to brass foundries
and all filing the worlds constantly
increasing demand for iron. In the