Evening star., 1922-07-02

svENTOR OF THE BRONZE DIVING
TREASURES OF THE SEAS.
main of value of the Pewabic's cargo.
and in these unsuccessful efforts the
lives of seven divers were sacrificed
and 100000 was spent. The diving
suits used were the only sort known
the standard type, made of leather.
canvas. rubber. glass and iron or lead
weighing.
steamship Mary Ethel waddled
out from the Morgan Transportation
Company's Traverse City docks on to
the choppy ruff1es of Grand Traverse
bay. Lake Michigan. On her deck
stood a tall, gray-haired. quizzical-
faced man of greatness in his ways,
who was looking for trouble and sat
isfied he wouldn't find it. Shake hands
with Benjamin Franklin Leavitt.
down-east Yankeeman. while the
Mary Ethers mate sounds for depths.
L
Bahston is after-depths. Make 'em
deep.
Previous to the Traverse bay dives
all helmets had crushed in at a depth
Of 200 feet, he said. under the ele-
ment's pressure of ninety pounds to
the square inch. The Traverse bay
dive of 361 feet encountered a pres
sure Of 160 pounds. the Lake Huron
dive of 176 feet supported eighty
pounds. and the Leavitt suit had been
previously tank-tested to a pressure
Of 220 pounds per square inch. which
would obtain at a depth Of 500 feet.
The only discomfort he experienced
in the 361- foot dive. Mr.. Leavitt re-
ported. was the cold at that depth.
After being down and walking about
on the lake floor forty five minutes,
he had phoned the deck:
Getting a bit chilly down here
below 40 degrees. Nothing more for
me to do. Guess I'll come up"
Though it had taken him eight
months and cost him $1,000 to con-
struct this first bronze-copper. rub
ber-glass suit. Mr.. Leavitt scrapped
he said, Il had learned more by a
couple Of hours actual experience
than eighteen months of theorizing
had taught me. And l set about at
once to build better suit. The eight
we are taking along on the Lusitania
trip are a developed type so per cent
superior to the ones | used success
fully in 1916 in Lake Michigan and
in 1917 in Lake Huron.
IT say that used successfully By
this l mean exactly what those
words convey, and therein lies as
surance that l shall have no diff
Guilty making my way into the in
terror of the Lusitania, cutting
through the vessels topmost or upper
promenade deck and her second or
main promenade deck to gain access
to the purser's strong room In the
grand entrance on the third or saloon
deck amidships, exactly in the center
Of the vessels length.
"The upper promenade deck Is at
the 25O-foot depth level, and 1 shall
not have to even descend to the sea
floor at 2s5 feet II I do not wish. AS
I have demonstrated entire absence
of danger and entire freedom Of loco
motion and lateral manipulation Of
the arms at 361 feet there is nothing
to fear The excess OF the pressure
density Of the oceans salt water over
the lakes fresh water is too trivial
to be figured in.
THE 315 tons of copper, $50 tons Of
iron ore, 1856 sides of leather Gin a
good state of preservation) and other
yaluables 1 and my divers salvaged
from the Pewabic at 176 feet cost me
in the completed operations $4,000.
and sold the lot for $4,000. That
10 the money fact OF it The impor-
tant fact established is that inventive
resource has at last overcome q bar
rier element, and that from now on
the salvaging OF treasure from deep
sunk craft will be an accepted part
Of the worlds work.
"I have no hesitation in saying that
1 did not select the Lusitania for this
first deep sea salvaging as much for
the $s,o0o,Ooo of gold and jewelry in
her hull-there are far richer wrecks
waiting me on the oceans beds-as
for the money attracting publicity at
'taching to that vessel beyond all
Others The expense Of the Lusitania
salvasing will be $16o,00o. and the
Blakely will sail without ono unpaid
bill in her wake.
"while anticipate no interference
by either Great Britain or the United
States to block my entering the 1usi-
taaiA. shall whom ! have recovered