The New York herald., 1922-06-25

Special Gable TO THE New YORK HERALD
Copyright, 1893, By THE NEW YonK HrsALp.
New York Herald Bureau,
London. June "a.
Within a fortnight Count Charles
Landi, managing director of the Ire
ready Salvaging and Towing Company,
says he will begin operations to raise
the Lusitania. He expects to bring
the giant liner up intact, and thinks
it likely that it will be only a short
time before she will be able to travel
under her own steam.
Count Landi's salvage ship, the
Semper Paratus, will come up the
Thames for inspection this week and
then will proceed to the Irish coast.
He says he is undisturbed over the re-
port that an American firm is ready to
attempt to salvage the Lusitania. be-
cause he has a three year contract
granted by the Liverpool and London
War Risk Insurance Company, owners
of the vessel and her contents.
Count Landi. who is an Italian by
birth and n British citizen. says that the
reason no attempt has yet been made
TO raise the Lusitania is that until now
no one has had a diving suit which
would enable men to descend to such
depths. The limit of diving possibilities
has not been much more than 120 feet.
according to the Count, who adds that
he has invented a suit which will make
it possible for men to work at a depth
of 500 feet. AS the Lusitania lies under
$50 feet OF water on a clean gravel
bottom he does not think that the task
of raising her will be difficult
He has had much experience. particu-
larly in eastern waters. and says that
since the war he has recovered score
OF ships in European seas. He raised
the French merchantmen Evangeline off
the island of Corfu in five days after
going down personally for inspection
purposes. Three days after the vessel
had been brought up. he says. she pro-
ceeded under her own steam
Perhaps HIS greatest achievement was
the raising of the American tanker
! Oilfield, sunk off the Hebrides in 1918.
She was cut clean in two Count Landi
decided that the forward half. which
contained nothing but the empty tanks,
was OF no value so he fetched up the
stern part. containing engines and valu-
able machinery, and three days later
this strange, blunted craft was seen
clumsily limping toward Glasgow under
her own steam
H. NJ. S. King Alfred. warship of
1900 tons, which was sunk in Belfast
Tough, the Count says, he brought up
IN eight days and she proceeded TO
Liverpool under her own steam.
Count Landi figures on three days to
get the engines working after he has
raised ship. He says that it Is natu-
raj that there should be no rust on the
machinery, as rust is caused by the
oxygen in the air. Asked If he ex-
pected TO send the Lusitania home under
her own steam. he said Perhaps not.
| expect TO find the engines put out OF
business by the torpedo that covered
the main steam pipe. thus stopping all
mechanical functions, but / expect to
have the Lusitania afoat on the At
lantic for the traffic rush next spring"
Count Landi says that the best story
Of all his salvaging tales concerns the
King Alfred. When the warship was
torpedoed a phonograph concert was
going on, playing Rule Britannia" The
record was half through when the ship
was struck and went down. Months
later when the ship was raised the
phonograph was full of water but in
tact, and when IL was empted and adj
justed the remaining half of the record
was played on the ship. Count Landi,
who has worked with the Admiralty is
reported TO have salvaged certain ships
during the war the identity of which is
stiR unrevealed.