The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-30
PLAN TO SALVAGE
SUNKEN CARCOES
American Ingenuity Makes Prac.
ticable 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 Salvaolng.

Boston.-One of the greatest coal
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 a 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 a monster of frightfulness was
demonstrated. Peace will allow the
submarine to come into its w 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
% per cen Is reclaimable at a cost of
about % cents per ton. Reclaimed
coal sells at the market price of $40
or $12 a ton.
BY means of the ~salvaging subma-
rine ii is possible to cover 20 square
miles of ocean bottom q day In search
ing for sunken hulks. Once a wreck
Is located 1t will be a simple matter,
now that the salvaging submarine is
as perfect as the ~torpedoing subna-
rine, to reclaim 800 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 a finder all along
the coast, for, according to marine
rulings, findings is keepings," and the
finder of the sunken cargo Is the
owner.
The retaining of wealth given up
for lost when the boat which carried
1t 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-
find sunken cargoes.
This is illustrated by a comparison
Of the work of the old-time divers
with the mechanical work of the sal
vaglng 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 Is different trips to
the wreck In as many months. Sc
arduous and fatiguing was the descent
that he was able to remain only 1s
minutes each time before he signalet
for the return journey. 1t took hin
four hours to make the descent, be
cause of the necessity of accustomins
his body by degrees to the increased
pressure. The last time he went dowI
he became paralyzed and was obliged
to come up leaving $4,000 in golt
behind him-which still awaits a find
er. In all he brought up $350,0OO.
Today the %salvaging submarine
goes down at the rate of a foot
second, and the diver can remain
month In 1t IL he desires, working al
eight-hour day or however long hi
day may be. The materials salvage,
are pumped to the surface by means
Of a 15inch pipe, which will bring u
800 tons Of coal or scrap iron In al
hour, and place II on the deck Of
cargo carrying steamer nearby. A
entire cargo is thus salvaged In a fe,
hours, and the work of locating an
salvaging another wreck immediatel
undertaken.
Works Many Economics.
In the matter Of economy Of tim
and money, the saving of the strengt
Of the divers and In locating wit
dexterity the whereabouts Of sunke
cargoes. the s~alvaging submarine cor
pares with the old-time method Q
picking up materials from the ocean
bed as Ices a high power motorca
with a one-horse shay.
Coal is decidedly improved by
repose Of many years under sea. fo
marine salts enter Its porous exterio
and increase its power of combustio
for both domestic and industris
uses.
Pig iron has been salvaged after