Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
So Says Simon Lake, Inventor of the Submarne-Oceans Dept
Now Open to Mans Expoaon-The Sub as Cargo Carrier
Workshops Under the Sea- and Divers Walk Down to Wrecks

I'm the past various Hotho"o ""'0
been applied to the raising OF the
sunken ship. Some Of them succeed
ed, most of them failed: there were
many cases to which none of them ap-
piled. It was these facts, and the fact
that l have worked 50 much beneath
the water and devised SO many appli-
ances for under water work, that set
me at the task Of finding better means
than those existing.
Were all ships built as submarines
are built, with pressure-resisting
decks and matches of air-tight con-
structiop. little difficulty would exist;
divers could make openings below
decks and attach pipes. through which
compressed air could be forced into
the hulls with sufficient force to drive
the water out and keep it out until
the vessels reached the surface, to be
hooked UP to pontoons or repaired.
But. unfortunately, though some. in
GLIDING myself. long have advocated
such construction, as a mere matter
Of insurance, they are not SO built.
Therefore ! have considered means
of imparting to sunken hulls self
contained positive buoyancy OF q de-
gree sufficient to bring them to the
surface. A ship cannot be raised from
any considerable depth by Closing the
openings which have sunk her and
pumping the water out, beca use. when
she has been emptied. the pressure of
the surrounding water will lie great
enough to crush her before she can
rise. Neither can ships be raised by
substituting air for water by means
Of pressure pumps. But we have seen
ships raised by applying buoyancy in
the form of casks and air bags placed
in their holds by divers.
Therefore. 1t occurred to me that
the efficient method would be to ap-
ply sufficient permanent buoyancy on
the interior of the vessel in such a
manner as not to dsform the vessel or
injure the material tn case storm
forced the temporary abandonment of
the surface salvage operations.
After much study the plan has de-
veloped into the interpreting Of
cork or balsa wood (Which Is even
lighter than cork) and forcing 1t, att
er it has been cut into pieces 4x4xs or
inches tn size, to take the place Of
the water In the sunken ship. The
prepared material Is dumped into a
hopper and drawn by suction into q
pipe through which 1t Ia driven at
high pressure into the interior Of the
vessel at locations selected by divers.
\ \ \ \
THE pump 10 placed below sea level
SO that al the buoyant material IN
dumped into the hopper it 10 drawn
into it and thence driven to the very
lowest levels Of the sunken ship by
means OF pipes extending through her
matches. 1t 10 not difficult to arrange
matters 80 that the bSoyant material
VIII be carried to every vacant portion
OK the interior. This is assured by
arranging small openings in various
parts OF the hull. thus setting In mo-
ton currents within to aoat the salv-
ing substance to the remotest vacant
spot.
All that then is needed la to con-
tinue the process until the shin floats.
and as the center Of buoyaney in the
standard form Of cargo ship, when
hlled with buoysnt substance. IL
much nearer the deck than the keel.
she then will rise right side up.
But. to return to cargo.carrvinp
submarines. Personally I feel sure
that the ship capable of being SUBJ
merged In case Of necessity. but built
Tor normal voyaging above the sur.
race with very low fre>beard. viii
Dc the cargo carrier Of the future. for
reasons entirely separated from the
added safety OF such vessels against
submarine attack in case Of war. Thu
top OF the Mauretania's .upperworks
ia eighty feet above her water,,ra
ihat decreases her cargo carrying ca.
pacity and adds to her visih,,itv {,
} war time. ~ Pc
The great cargo carriers of tba
uays to come will have all ton hamner
cut away. will be strong enough go
that they can stand the washing ~,
the seas upon their decks ana tn
weight thus eliminated will bs MI
INTO added strength. This lattsr 10