Evening star., 1959-12-13

tHc pIOSpeGlA lOON pIOWlstH9 IOf
the mighty Woso, the worlds Oldest
fully identified ship, to finish her
first trip at SEQ. This is the story
Of her rescue from briny oblivion.
soldiers leaving on the WaSa
to join their King fighting in
Germany.
King Gustavus Adolphus,
embroiled in the Thirty Years
War. was waiting impatiently
to impress his friends and foes
on the continent with the most
siendid warship the world had
ever seen. All spring he had
sent threatening letters to the
master Shipbuilder, Henrik Hy-
hertSon, urging him to rush the
ship to completion.
But the WaSa never reached
the north German coast. In
fact, sometime next year, 322
years later. she will complete
her maiden voyage-something
less than two miles.
When the Wasa set sail on
that August 10 afternoon in
1923, she carried a crew of 1873
and 300 soldiers. Altogether
more than 500 people were
aboard. including some soldiers
families who had been given
permission to go as far as
the fortress city of Waxholm,
in the Inner Archipelago.
OfflcerS on board noticed a
slight list while the Wasa was
still docked, and Erik Joensson,
the chief ordinance officer,
went below deck to make sure
the ships 81 guns were prop
erly lashed. They were.
At 4 pm. Capt. Scoring
Hanson Jute ordered the sails
set. AS the ship increased
speed the captain noticed she
was not answering the helm
as she should.
Sinking of the Wasa
Then a sudden gust of wind
hit, and the Wasa started to
list to leeward. Once again
Oficer Joensson ran below
deck-to order the leeward
guns pulled to the windward
side. But it was too late.
Water poured through the
gun ports. Soon the masts
were touching the water. With
sails and flags Tapping, her
rigging slowly disappeared. In
moments only the mainmast
was visible.
The spectators in the green
hills, paralyzed at first, rushed
boats to. the scene and saved
$50 people.
The next day, the Royal
Council started in inyestiga-
tion.
No cause was found for the
disaster.
Master Hybertson proved he
had followed . the Kings order
in building the ship. Capt.
Hanson Jute and Ordnance
Of1cer Joensson proved that the
guns and supplies were properly
laShed.
Salvage Attempted
Three days later, the first
salvage attempt was started, by
a British engineer, Ian Bulmer.
He failed. So did others. for
more than 30 years, until a
Swede, Albrecht Won Treibelben,
introduced the diving bell. He
succeeded in recovering much
OF the armament and other
equipment of value. Eventually :.
the Wasa was forgotten. slowly
she settled into the mud.
But a few years ago, a navy
engineer. Anders Franzen, now
Al, stumbled across old papers
telling about the Wasa. He had
been interested in ship salvage
since boyhood On a summer
evening in 1856. he put out IN
a boat to sound for the ship.
Where Mr.. Franzen had CAL
culated the Wasa lay. his
soundings marked the outline
OF a ship her size. He interested
authorities at the Navy's div
ing school. who since have had
a made to order training
course.
They determined that the
136-foot Wasa had sunk into
the ooze up to her former water
line.
For 21a years, the Navy's
frogmen brought up some 700
objects from the watery depths.
Carvings Recovered
They included odd pieces of
the ship itself and decorative
art objects from Sweden's ba-
rogue period - allegoric carv-
ings depicting mythical gods
and animals: vines and punches
OF flowers; sensual female fig
ures; a statue of the Roman
Emperor Tiberius and a mag
nificent f1gurehead of a roar
ing lion
A committee was formed to
study salvage of the ships hull. /
The cradle method was decided
upon. Last August IL. six tun-
neis were dug by water Jets.
and IL wires, each 2 inches
thick and 1870 yards long. were
passed under the Wata and
paid out to two surface pom
toons.
Pumps started to empty the
pontoons OF water. AS they did,
the 700-ton ship rose three feet. |
Additional lifts over a 17-day
AnNyEnrr1rw1S