Evening star., 1932-08-24
BY CAPT. HARRY L. BoWDoIN.

Commander Merida Salvage Expedition.
S. s. SALVOR. Norfolk. Va, August
% (N.ANA).-We have definitely
found the strong room of the treasure
ship Merida, and our divers are that
much nearer the recovery of the S4,-
100000 in gold and silver bullion and
the probable wealth in jewels aboard
the sunken liner.
We have surveyed the vessel from
stem to stern, and although she lies
en- her side, 200 feet down, we believe
the divers can traverse her decks al
most eS easily as if she were on the
surface. We feel within striking dis
tance of the riches which went down
with the Merida.
We have come into Norfolk to take
On supplies, and will put out to sea
again in a day or SO.
The Merioa, Ward liner, was sunk
in collision IN the fog with the steam
er Admiral F'arragut, May u, 1911. The
beats came together off the Virginia
Capes and the exact position of the
wreck of the Merida is 81 miles east
northeast OF Cape Charles.
On this last, fateful voyage the
Merida was bound from Vera CIuz to
New York. Diaz had just been deposed
from the presidency of Mexico. The
Merida carried wealthy refugees. sup
porters of the Diaz regime. They had
much money and jewels. But the big
treasure aboard was that S4,000,000 in
bullion, and 1t is there still.
Oh great value also, and of high TO-
mantle interest, are the MiXimilian
crown jewels, which many believe to
have gone down on the Merida. Maxi
L <1f ffov I
to 1867, when he was deposed and exc
cuted The treasure in jewels belong
ing to him and his empress, Carlotta, Is
generally supposed to have passed final
ly into the possession Of Diaz, and to
have been put aboard the Merida with
the DiaZ refugees.
We have tCund the Merida with the
aid of the trawlers Sea Ramtler and
Sea Gull, and through the expert navi-
CATION of Capt. Phillip Moore, who on
previous occasions located the wreck
for three salvage expeditions which
failed Now, having found the ship, we
will run a line direct to her strong
room from one OF our buoys, to guide
the divers.
We have surveyed the Merida from
a diving Cb1ervation chamber on which
my associates and myself worked for
16 years. We have seen the two great
gashes in her side, which sank her, anu
we have brought up fragments of the
barnacle -encrusted Wreckage about her
d=cks.
The Bowdoin observation chamber
is of chromium steel. 1t weighs 4 tons
at the surface, but less than 1000
pounds in water, because of its dis
placement. There is space inside for
four yo,nr fo y,n;ra IN comfort
dive to the bottom is simpler than
telling it. The divers climb into the
chamber They wear ordinary cloth
ing. The massive disc, which closes the
top of the chamber, is firmly bolted on
BY the crew with the aid of steam
winches. The chamber is hung over
the side CT our salvage Ship the Salvor,
and droppad slowly into the water. A
large cable enclosing air hose. light and
telephone wires IS slowly paid out from
the hold of the Salvor, where powerful
electric pumps supply air at the same
pressure encountered at the surface.
From within the chamber one might
be locking into a large aquarium. The
green shade of the water grows deeper
and when we reach $50 feet it has
to see the wreck through a glass win
dow in the bottom of the chamber.
1t is hard to realize at first what We
are locking at. The hull is so thickly
covered with barnacies and other
growths that it is difficult to identify
the lines of the hull until one grows
accustomed to the moonlight tone of
the light at this depth.
The observation chamber has power
full lights attached, enabling the diver
to see go feet in any direction. Electric
propellers make it possible to turn the
chambers On it's axis or to move it
slowly through a small radius. BY
telephoning to the surface for move
ment by the Salvaor we can reach
different parts OF the wreck.
Now that the strong room is located
We will serd down diver in suit so
constructed that its wearer can work
for hours at depths up to 700 feet. l
cannot make public the details Of the
construction of this suit.
But remember that divers with ordi-
nary equipment have never operated
successfully below 135 feet because of
the great pressure to which they are
subjected and the necessity for very
slow decomposition in returning to the
surface
There is no question we have found
Merida. We have identified four coal
ports which no other ship possessed.
The vessel lies, unfortunately. with the
starboard side down. The strong room
is on this side, and it will be neces-
cary to cut and blast through the
wooden structure to reach it.
With coed weather it should take
only a few weeks to bring the treasure
TO the surface
Copyright. 1882, bv North American News-
paper Alliance, Ire. All rights reservedD