MAY BECOME BUSINESS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 37, 31 December 1943, Page 4

MAY BECOME BUSINESS

RAISING LIKELY TO BE

COME LARGER POST-WAR

ACTIVITY

The Normandie lias been righted alter more, than a year on its side in New York's North River. Ln the Firth of Forth, the British have lately completed a job of salvage on another ship which in its day was the largest afloat —the naval training craft, Caledonia, formerly the Majestic, of the. Cunard-White Star fleet. The account of.ils salvage is typical of stories, now not used or relegated to back pages to make room for tidings from, the battle front,, which in better times would, command tlie. fascinated attention of the world. The Majestic, a jfi.OOOton ship went down several years ago in deep water after an outbreak of lire.. Precious Steel Ordinarily it is a cargo which attracts the salvors, hut in this- case it was 10.000 tons of precious steel needed, for the war. The work ay as put in charge of Captain C. G. Bonner. holder of the Victoria Cross for heroism in the Q-boat war on submarines 111 17. Eighteen hundred, ports., as well as hull openings, had lo be sealed by divers before the great- ship was pumped dry. This done, she was raised at the. first attempt. !n th.'t. past, jewels and. bullion and even' ivory had been the lure. It n;ny be that mining the. sea and river bottoms for m.'Lai in the shape .>r Min.uui huib ; . wiii iK'.'oine a larger ar activity. Toe Russians In I.lie. one year of P.K>S) raise'J. ;yl< vesse'x among I heir, a BriUsh sub.,, sun'k off Kronslarit In l'.)H). Willi improve! salvage nieth o is ;in'i an abundance of victims o: she present war to bs worked on mi enterprise essential y romantic even in its quest for prosaic stejj may become, a business.