The Washington times., 1920-07-04

gills can seldom survive three or four tides
without the loss Of almost all Its flesh, SO
great is the effect of the constant pressure
and friction OF the ebbing and rising water.
The Germans have always asserted that
the Lusftania bore a cargo OF arms and
ammunition, 1t was on this pretext that
the German U-boat sank her VIII the
British Government take pains to disclose
the entire cargo of the Inflated liner be-
fore neutral commission, that the Ger
man claim may be forever silenced?
There have been other methods suggest
ed from time to time for raising the Lusf-
tania. In exceptional cases divers have
been provided with specially constructed
diving suits and have gone down below the
So-foot mark. In the raising of the United
States submarine F4. which sank outside
Honolulu harbor on March rs, 1915, and
which was refioated and towed into the
harbor five months later, the divers went
down more. than two hundred feet. Such
feats. however, are only attempted for
purposes of observation. The bulky, rigid
construction OF the suits precludes the
possibility of their use when active work
is to be done by the diver.
The old method of raising ship by
means of pontoons was to float the pom
toons on the surface above the vessel to
be raised and hauling it up by means Of
cables. This has been deemed impracti-
cable in the present Instance.
oro faH thot
ers Sbe erected around the Lusitania and
that on these powerful derricks be mount
ed. The problem would then resolve itself
into supplying enough power to lift the
$4,000 tons of the hull and the weight of
the water in 1t, a herculean task more am
bilious In its conception than plausible
Another plan that has been used in
erecting bridges and in the raising of
smaller vessels sunk in peculiarly situated
/. spots on the oceans bed is that OF sink
ing caisson, ,-or steel cylinder, around the
vessel, exhahsting the water by pumps,
and maintaining a. sufficient pressure of
air inside ,the caisson to keep the water
/out In the case OF the Lusitania its depth
and its size would preclude the possibility
of using .caissons. The pressure necessary
to keep back the water would be too great
for the bodies of the men working in the
caisson. Their lungs would be smashed
In and they would actually smother from
too much air instead Of the lack of II. Be
sides. the ,caisson would have to be so
large that the cost OF constructing and
maintaining It would be greater, than the
cost Of building the Eusitanis itself, and
obviously there would be no profit in the
salvage. = 'Fu
The estimated value of the Jusitania lis
so great that even II years time istre-
quired for. the. work the speculation Will
prove highly profitable Aside from the
value of the ship itself, II is known that
over million dollars In money went to
the bottom. together with a cargo of ex-
press freight valued in .,1916 At S750,O0O,
precious stones worth. $4,000. a fortune
In gold, silver and copper bars and s500o0
IN sheet brass. A considerable Quantity OF
this material is worth more to-day than It
was In 1918 The. British, Government, tho
Cunard Line and the salvaging company
expect to divide ut least SIS 100000 when
the liner shah have been raised. F u