NEW NAVAL WONDER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 260, 30 July 1919, Page 7

NEW NAVAL WONDER

SALVING SHIP LIKE A WEDDING CAKE. .

.The first of a new type of "mystery ship for the Admiralty has been completed at Southw/ek, near Brighton (s;ates the 'Taily Mail"). It has taken pome months to construct, and the cost approaches .£1,000,000 for each "ship." Altpgeher six are to be built. Unlike the mystery slips built during' the war. these are not intended for de'Btruction, but for salving merchant vesyels 6unk by Hun submarines round our coasts'. The positions of these merchantmen have been ascertained by the. Admiralty Salvago Department, and divers have reported that in many, cases they can be raised and titled again'for service. The new salvago ships look like segmented towers, with broad ship-shaped bases. They rise tier' on tier, like a redding cake, eaoh tier diminishing in size to the >tpp one, which .is over. 100 ft. above the'base. '■' Each tier'is niadeof numerous blocks of concrete, honeycombed, to withstand external pressure, 'but otherwise 1 hollow. There are watertight- doors, by which the blocks can be filled with water, and pumps by which the water can be replaced by air! These concrete tower sliips. which have no motive power, are to be towed in pairs to the neighbourhood of sunk mercliantmen. On a calm day the hollow concrete blocks will be flooded and the tower 6hips will be sunk on each side of the wreck. ' Divers will lash • them to the wreck, the water will be pumped out of the blocks, and, if all goes well,- the tower ships will rise, bringing.the wreck to the surface. The construction of the mystery ship lias provided a new industry for Brighton. Many hundreds of men have been employed, and shipyards have been constructed where formerly were only mudflats and a tidal estuary.