Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-04-16
TREASURE HUNT
OFF ANAsT ASIA
TO START soon
BAND OF ADVENTURES NOW
EN- ROUTE TO ST AUGUS-
TINE
WILL RAISE ISIS
FROM OCEAN BED
Worth Million Dollars, Treasure Seek
ers Have New Plan to
Raise Hulk
lBy uniyersal Iseryleel

New York, April Weighted
down with the combined hopes of a
band of adventurers ranging from
metropolitan business men to Off
GERS of King Georges household at
Buckingham Place, the little con-
verted French warship Blue Point
is nosing her way to Anastasia ISL
and, off the coast of Florida, with the
Saliger Salvage Expedition on board
to renew the attempt made by the
same group to recover the lost steam
ship Isis last fall.
Thirty in Expedition
Stormy weather caused the aban-
donment of the effort last October
after the expedition had suffered in
tense punishment and lost much of
its paraphernalia, hence the employ
ment at this time of a staunch craft,
which during its experience as a
mlne sweeper and more recently as a
steam trawler off the New Found
land banks established reputation
as one of the most sea-worthy ships
af1oat. Thirty marine engineers,
divers and wreckers are on board
with their unique equipment with
which they expect to revolutionize
present salvage methods throughout
the world.
Valued at S1,000,0O0
Their objective is not far from St.
Augustine, where the Isis lies conf
pletely submerged. The lavish fit
tings which A. G. Spaulding in STALL
ed when she was his private yacht
and the paraphernalia placed on
board by the navy, and more recently
by the Geodetic Survey when that
branch of the service took her over,
is atfording sport for the sharks with
whcih these waters abound. Original
ly valued at $1,OO0,O0O, the Isis Of
fers rich prize for the salvagers, es-
pecially in view of the costly scien-
tifc apparatus that the Geodetic Sur
vey installed and the supplies intend
ed for a years cruise.
Employ New Principle
The Saliger Ship Salvage Corpora
ton hopes to recover this wealth
through the application Of princi-
pie ',at many be seen demonstrated
at any beach, river or pond where
children are at play. The air bags
that the more timid ones thrust un-
der their arms are tiny prototypes of
the resilient and collapsible pontoons
employed by the ,Saliger system to
, obviate the use of costly and immo-
bile cranes, derricks and rigid. pom
toons. The Saliger air bags are huge
affairs resembling in appearance
great footballs when inflated, but sus-
ceptible Of being rolled up like a
heavy rug for transport and when be-
ing lowered alongside a sinken ship,
Problem of Bouyancy
After a mechanical mole" has
burrowed its way under the ship
drawing the lifting cables in its
/! wake, the pontoons are attached to
the latter and pumped full of air, inn
parting to each great.football a bouy-
ancy capable of lifting twenty-five
tons in the water. The size of the
ship, of course, determines the num-
ber of pontoons, but nothing can re-
sist their lifting power when enough
units are employed.
Work For Three Days
A. B. SaliRger, the engineer-inven-
tor in chargeNpf the expedition, ex-
poets to have the Isis floating within
three days after work actually com
menees, but as weather is the deter.
mining factor his staspch workshop
has been coaled and pkovisioned tC
battle for months with ths elements
if necessary. She is equipped- Wit
wireless to keep in tough with the