SALVAGE FEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1933, Page 8

SALVAGE FEAT

RAISING THE GERMAN FLEET. £75,000 SPENT ON ONE SHIP. LONDON, Dec. 10. Mr E. F. Cox, of Messrs Cox ami and Banks, of London, who risked all lie possessed in raising the German battleships which were scuttled in Sea pa Flow on June 21, 1919, told a thrilling story of his enterprise at a meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Eight years ago, fearin or unemployment after breaking up two British battleships which he had bought, he decided to try his hand at lifting the German ships. He had never lifted a ship in his li e. “1 went to the Admiralty,” Mr Cox said, “and told them I wanted to buy tbe German Fleet. I prefaced that remark, however, by asking for tile ships as a gift. 1 was advised to have a look at Scapa Flow first, and to make another application for purchase if 1 felt so im Wut-tu Some of Hie lost battleships were projecting out of the water; others were just beneath. It was a bi£; engineering problem, and 1 felt like tackling it. My wife, who wa s with me, asked me not to he a fool.” Eventually, the Admiralty sold Mr Cox 26 destroyers and two battleships. That was satisfactory so far as salvage was concerned, “but not so satisfactory in the region of finance,” said Mr Cox. “That job i undertook solely by myself. I feel proud T was able to do it off niy own bat.” Mr Cbx spent £140,000 before he landed his first destroyer. There were times when lie was delighted with the success of the work. At other times, through mishaps, he feared he might en ( l his days selling matches. The engineering problems confronting him were many. 'The destroyers were in all sorts of positions, and when he had recovered 26 lie thought he knew something about salvage wort?. After dealing with destroyers of 760 tons, Mr Cox aspired to trie 27,000 ton Hindenburg, which had settled down on her keel in an upright position in about ten fathoms of water. She was the largest ship ever raised. Time and again she took a list when partly, raised. “T had spent £40,000 of my money on her when she beat me, and very nearly broke my heart,” he said. “T did not give up, and went on spending money. Then came a day when I had spent £70,000, and in two minutes, I was to know whether I was ever to see it back. My man, with a lifebelt around him, began to sing out the degrees o" her list as she was being raised : 2\ degrees, came the message; 3 degrees . . . 3J . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 5i .... 6. My heart almost stood still. Then 6L Here he stopped. I knew I had won. Then the voice came —6f —and all was well. T was like a schoolboy I was so elated.” Mr Cox spent £75,000 on the Hindenburg, and lie just got hi s money back.