RECOVERING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1923, Page 4

RECOVERING SUNKEN VESSELS.

YANKEE GENIUS SCORES

SAN FRANCISCO, June 15

There is every prospect of some of the sunken vessels, victims of Germany’s submarine warfare, now being brought to light again, thanks to another evidence of American ingenuity, t enough the agency of the amphibious "Mungo crag, invented hy Jesse W . Reno, for this extraordinary craft already has proved successful in its first effort.

The great land and water tractor, resembling an army tank in appearance ‘•walked” out of its garage on the* shore at Whitestono landing. Long Island, near New York, recently, moved to the edge of the sea and waded in over its head. Inside the crab were three men. v.ith all the necessary equipment for raising the sunken coastguard cutter Scully.

The Scully, formerly all Eagle boat. 200 fett long, went clown in sixty fathoms, of water in the Atlantic Ocean. The salvage crab just naturally walked out to the sunken wreck and her crew got to work with a will. After reaching the wreck the salvage crab sent hac k submarine signals to the men on shore that she had found her prey and that work was proceeding. This work consisted in placing the “crab’’ alongside the Scully and by means of a patented device, holes were bored in the plates of the const guard vessel. Alter a sufficient number had been driven, detlated pontoons were hooked on to the Scnllv by means of chains. Then the crab walked ashore to load up with pumping apparatus. The pumps wore started within three days after the crab had found the wreck, and two days thereafter tin.* Scully buoyed by the pontoons, broke the surface of the sea and was lowed to dry dock.

The operators of the salvage crab hope to do a thriving business in sunken wrecks that lie along llk* coast of the New England Slates within reasonable distance of the shore. )\ lien linee hint? been raised, oil their valuable contents recovered, the crab will lie sent to England to work on a number of vessels that were sent down along tin English and French coasts during tile world war and aboard which is much plunder. The inventors of ilug salvage crab are working on a diving la'll device. Ibis would permit the crew of xln* crab to put out a diver for undersea work alter the crab had reached the Scene ol the wreck, and would enable him to enter and leave the salvage crab at will. The advantage of such device is obvious to those acquainted with deep sea diving. The diver would In* ill close proximity to the air pumps at all times and would not he handicapped hy many fathoms of lifeline and airline that now are necessary to divers working from surlaee boats. Ihe crab', equipped with powerful lights would enable the diver to work in sullicieiit light to carry on intelligent: investigation. With all danger of fouling his lines eliminated, the diver could find his way into the interior of the wreck and secure the precious contents of pursers' sales and ships’ specie tanks.