RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2012, 7 August 1919, Page 1

RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

NOVEL BRITISH SCHEME. USE OF CONCRETE “SHIPS.’ ’ A “mystery ship” of a new type has been built at Southwick, near Brighton, for addition to the Admiralty list. Its cost has been nearly £1,000,000, and six in all are to be built. This mystery ship is not like those built during the war; its purpose is not destruction, but the salving of merchant vessels sunk by the Germans. Their positions being known, divers have reported that in many cases they can be raised and re-fitted for service. These new salvage ships look like segmented towers, with broad shipshaped bases? They rise tier on tier, like a wedding cake, each tier diminishing in size to the top one, which is over 100 ft. above the base. Each tier is made of numerous blocks of concrete, money-comber to withstand external pressure, but otherwise 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. Having no motive power, they are to be towed in pairs to the neighbourhood of sunken merchantmen. On a calm day the hollow conx-ete blocks will bo Hooded, and the ships will sink 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 towerships will rise, bringing up the wreck with them. Construction of these mystery ships has provided a new industry for Brighton. Many hundreds of men have been employed, and shipyards have been constructed where formerly were only mud-fiats and a tidal estuary.