The New York herald., 1922-05-28
The steamer Blakeley, which
has been comfortably equipped
for the treasure quest.

q INCE the sinking of the Lusitania
~ there has been great deal of dis
cussion Of various plans to raise
the ship. The lure of the sunken shir
with vast treasure aboard is still one OF
the most potent influences in the life OF
the adventurous spirits of all the Seven
Seas. Sailors before the mast, engineers
in their workrooms and dreamers on the
benches in the city parks-all have
visioned the possibilities of bringing to
the surface the great ship which the
enemy sunk near the Irish coast, and
which went down with treasure aboard
much greater probably than any ever
before taken to the ocean floor.
However, none Of the plans which have
been spoken of so enthusiastically in the
past have ever amounted to anything.
Now, however, the subject of not only
salvage Of the ship itself, but recovery
OF its treasure is broached again, this
time in very businesslike, promising
way. 1t seems as If, after all, real and
encouraging effort is to be made to bring
up from the Lusitanias resting place
whatever the waters have left of her
that is worth while to recover.
This time 1t is by the simple process
of diving that it is hoped to reach the ILL
fated ship. At Cramps Shipyards, just out
side Philadelphia, the steamer Blakeley
ia heinp nronarad for th;s so,,.o -
dition. 1t will carry all the modern
equipment necessary for the attempt to
reach hulk almost three hundred feet
under water. In charge of these prepara-
tions, among others, is Benjamin f.
Leavitt Of Philadelphia, who has won
considerable fame as a most daring diver.
Within a few weeks the steamer
Blakeley will be at anchor eight miles
off Kinsale Point, Ireland, as nearly as
can be determined, directly over the hulk
of the sunken Lusitania, and BENJAMIN
F. Leavitt of Philadelphia will be dropped
over the side at the end of steel cable
to locate the sunken liner and her re-
puted hoard of $15,OOO,OOO in gold and
precious stones.
1t is not for oaken strong boxes brim-
ming with Spanish doubloons, that
Leavitt and his associates will seek.
Theirs, If they are successful, will be a
more modern hoard.
When the Lusitania was sunk by the
enemy off Ireland seven years ago she
carried treasure to incite the cupidity
of the most prosaic. Not treasure ship,
as were the most historic marine losses.
she carried a fortune probably greater
than that carried in any of the so-called
treasure ships" of tradition. And where
the treasure in these galleons of old has
grown in the telling through hundreds of
years. the treasure on the Lusitania can
be reckoned with some accuracy and
without the fear that traditions of years
have multiplied a perhaps moderate num-
Der Of doublooms.
The Lusitania carried $5,0O0,O0O in
specie alone. She is also known to have
carried an almost equal amount in cases
of silver and valuable jewelry. There, IL
there were no other treasure, would be
a satisfactory haul" for any treasure
seeker.
But undoubtedly the Lusitania carried
more than this. Among her passengers
we're many men and women OF great
wealth. Without question they carried
with them jewels and other articles of
great value. A single passenger is re-
ported to have deposited SIS, 900 with the
purser. Nine. Antoine de Page, wife of
the director of the Belgian Red Cross, is
said to have carried more than 100000.
The purser's strong box held. without
doubt, jewels of great value, property OF
wealthy passengers of the ill-fated liner.
The total value of the treasure, virtu-
ally all in specie and jewelry, which
would defy the action of the water, is
estimated at close to s15,000,00O. II is
for this fortune that Leavitt and his asso-
ciates will seek.
An armored diving suit, invented and
patented by Leavitt some years ago and
since then constantly tested and i'm
proved has made possible this venture.
In an actual salvage test in the Great
Lakes Leavitt made the worlds record
for depth, going down 361 feet in locating
the Pewabic, sunk after a collision in
1865 Copper and other material valued
at $4,000 were salvaged from that wreck
in 1916
From this test. and from later ones
made in special high pressure tanks.