Evening star., 1932-01-11
CAPT. KIDD |SA|D|NG
LUS|TAN|A SALVAGE.
Ship Designer and Engineer
on Expedition Was Born in
Pirates Home Town.
by Gable to The Star.

by Cable to The Star
LONDON, January IL (NANA)-
Capt Kidd, redoubtable pirate and
ubiquitous burier of legendary treasure
an honest sea captain double-crossed
by crooked politicians, unjustly out
iawed by a Governor of New York, cap
tuIred by Governor Of Massachusetts;
Capt. Kidd, villainous cut-throat
aristocratic martyr, early in 1700
hanged (whatever the TRUTH by the
King Of England, was born and chris
tened William-long, long ago at
Greenock, Scotland.
Born there, too, and christened
David, another Capt Kidd, hull engi-
neer of the Jake-Railey expedition to
explore the sunken Lusitanta, admits
the coincidence-bu disclaims all re-
iationship.
With the character attributed to
Capt william, in fact and fiction, Capt.
David-affectionatel called Skipper"
by his younger Shipmates on the ex-
pedition-haS nothing in common,
nothing, that is, save love OF the sea.
He is not a sailor. He is designer Of
ships, a practical man preoccupied with
figures, with figures and steel, accus-
toned to accuracy mathematlcally
demonstrated and adhered to through
out a broad and distinguished career
as naval architect and marine engi-
neer.
Designed Egypt Being SaIvaged.
At II he was apprenticed as
craftsman with Card g. Co., Greenock,
passing through the various trades,
i'm the hard school of his day COM
pelled to master each-carpenter,
trigger, mold loft, drawing office and
designing department There he parti-
ripated in the designing of the widely
known P. g. o. steamers India, Arabia
Rnd Egypt.
Southwest of Ushant, in 1922, the
Egypt, 5000. tons, was rammed In
O fog by a large freight vessel and
sunk with a consignment OF gold and
silver bars and coin-10 tons OF silver
and S tons of gold-valued at S.
600 600 She lies now in 70 fathoms,
her corroded decks cut through to the
treasure room by the determined
italian salvors, who next Spring will
succeed-there is little doubt-in re-
covering most, if not all, of it.
Here in London, recently, preparing
for the difficult task on the abandoned,
treasureless LuSitania, Capt Kidd
discussed with Count Buraggi Of the
Sorima Co. the operations on the
Egypt, which Capt. Kidd helped to
build.
Escaped Death as Derrick Fell.
He is a difficult man to interview.
Silent most of the time, at all times
reserved. prodding provoked, when he
was cornered today, only monosyl-
Liable response.
Surely" it was explained, "a boy
hood spent in the heart of the Scot
fish shipbuilding industry
lies in the lower regions of the Clyde,
gateway to the Scottish Highlands
must have been just bit ad-
venturous?"
He laughed with his eyes, compre-
hendingly, and said grufiy, While
with Cards I narrowly escaped being
killed when a derrick mast and chain
fell across and cut in two lifeboat I
was working in" And not another
word about that. He was even then, as
now, emotionally too well disciplined
to dramatic the incident. 1t happened.
That is all.
Came to U. S. and Designed Ships.
why, when did you go to the
United States?"
The shipbuilding business in 1900
entered upon a very slack period. AS
the United States Congress was then
subsidizing steamers built in the United
States. coupled with a great deal of
new construction for the Navy, I left
Britain for America. I landed in New
York and proceeded to Philadelphia,
where I entered the draughting rooms
of Cramps Shipyard.
Charles Cramp was then working on
the construction of a new battleship to
replace the Maine. which had been
blown up in Havana Harbor.
The climate proved too warm for
comfort I went to the Bath Iron
Works and spent there the happiest
years of my life, working on designs
and drawings for all sorts Of vessels,
from battleshipS to torpedo boat de-
stroyers. The Maine people are people
of character. consider Bath my home
town and the State of Maine my home
State, regardless of place of residence.
1t was at Bath that I met the lady who
took me for better or for worse"
Helped Lake Build so Submarines.
Toward the end of 1907 Simon Lake,
chief of technical operations of the
Lusitania expedition, was recalled from
Europe to build submarine embodying
his patented features. Mr.. Kidd was
asked and agreed to go to Bridgeport,
Conn, where he became engaged on the
design and calculations for the vessel
which at first was known as the Seal
and later became the G-1.
After an interlude of four years at
Quincy, Mass, on plans for the Argen-
tine battleship Rivadavia and the U. s.
S. Nevada, he returned to Bridgeport
and to Mr.. Lake, for whom he super
Vised the draughtsmen in the prepara-
tion Of drawings for more than so sub
marines.
During the war" he went on, I'VE
worked night and day. After the armis-
tice came we thought the strain would
let up. Instead the Lake company re-
ceived an order for four submarines
the S-48, SAG, $50 and S-51. For
while the rush continued. Then the
United States Government stopped
building submarines entirely for long
period"
Joins Lusitania Expedition.
The Lake Torpedo Boat Co. closed
down finally in 1923. Capt. Kidd re-
tired to his home, at Stratford, Conn,
10 be with Mrs. Kidd and their only
child, william, a boy Of 16 with whom
he INDUCED their Joint hobby, boating.
Occasionally he resumed professional
activity in the capacity of consultant.
A few months ago he agreed to serve
as hull engineer with the Lake -Railey
Lusitania expedition
He is aware of the difficulties that lie
ahead, of the hazards, too, at sea and
beneath the sea. To him, however, it
Is an engineering problem, theoretically
and mathematically, practically capable
of solution.
(Copyright, 1892, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)