Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-02
OCEANS FLOOR CARPETED
WITH VALUABLE CARG0Es
LusitaDia Would Be WortI, Five Mil.
lions il She Could BE
Relocated.
HUGE PLANS FOR sALvAGlNG
New Diving Suit Will Permit Diver
TO Go Down 1000 Fcct-Wrccks
Raised From Bottom by Use OF
Huge Cylinders.
ny CLAIR PRICE.

NDON. Feb. /. Now that
iSs.,,a!, are ended ; Look for the
Companies arc already being or
ranizcd here to recover from the bed
OF the ocean large. part of the
IONS have sent down.
Wealth beyond the dreams OF
mates ,h hW"'s the them one , ossr f es
Britain to India alone are strewn with
lost SHIPS worth more than $500. 1000, 900.
copper. lead. wool, quicksilver and oils
all the countless commodities into
whose production went the sweat of
men and into whose recovery will go
INC daring and even the lives of men,
await the salvage companies.
sJNI>EN VESSELS
wORTII DIG SUMS
Even ships alone, without "A ton Of
are bringing fabulous prices to-day If
ne !-usiianla could be raised. the ship
nione would bring S5,ooo,000 at Liver
Expert brains arc devising methods
@. ga wage which prcwar salvage COM
p"nicS never dreamed Of.
Nc" diving suits are among the
most startling of the new devices A
i"W Years. ago II took more than aver
man average daring for a diver TO 20
uown thirty fathons. or $50 feet. Some
tWn years ago, United States Navy
DIVERS from the Brooklyn yard startled
ne world rs going down a little over
NY iathomS. or 800 feet, to recover
al American submarine which had
gone 10 the bottom of honolulu
NEW SUIT FITTED WITH
BtLI.-HEhRING JOINTS
low comes news. however. OF a new
"lNirS-suit which viii permit Il diver
10 go down 1000 feet without danger
II ~ suit OF heavy armor. made of
hlansancs" bronze and fitted with ball
bearing joints. II is not only strong
enough to withstand tho terrific water
pressure OF 1000 feet. but il carries n
compfcsscd-a AIR tank. built on tho back
OF me ariuor. which furnishes the diver
Win air sufficient for four hours Con-
Sciucnt? II is not necessary to pump
ar down 10 him and as he works un-
Ger ordinary atmospheric pressure he
ieeis no III effects, no matter at what
depth he works.
Other methods Of equally startling
novelty, are to be used.
CYLINDERS EMPLOYED TO
RAISE SHIPS IN TIDr:LESs SEA
Airoady, experiments have been made
with huge cylinders designed for rails
ing sunkcn ships in a ;idcless soa
ihorc being no natural means OF uf;
~ rs necessary 10 use buoyancy. Work
ing on this principle. the cylinders are
used where there is no tide and no
current.
Divers descend beforehand. as usual
10 make careful examination of the
hull. TO find out 10 what extent ii has
I been damaged and to discover what
parts OF the hull cannot stand the pres
sure of applied buoyancy.
CYLINDERS ARE
dashed 10 sUNKIsN HULLs
Then the huge iron cylinders are
'owed out from the nearest dockyard
and. having been filled with water are
sunk close TO, the wreck. one or more
on each side and at the bottom are
dashed by divers firmly TO the wrecks
by steel cables
An enormous pump then drives the
water from the cylinders. and allows
J air 10 enter in it's place. The result
cylinders become lighter and lighter
until finally the buo!ancy overcomcs
She dead weight OF the wreck and
gradually the climbers rise to the sur
face. bringing the wreck with them
Success has already attended this use
OF huoyancy cylinders, not only with
smaller craft, such as sunken subma-
riues and destroyers. but frequently
with big ships we'll.
9TROBLEM Is SIMPLER
WHERE TIDE EBBS AND FLOWS
lem is an easier one. Full use is made
OF tho natural rising and falling of
$he waters. the wrecks being moved by
stages along the bottom until they
so that at low tide they arc exposed
and salvage men may get at their
wounds TO patch them. Thereafter with
their hulls patched. they are pumped
dock ward.
Another discovery which is revoIu-
tioniz'nE salvage work is the dis
DON'T HAVE