THE LUSITANIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 319, 27 October 1915, Page 2

THE LUSITANIA.

PROPOSAL TO REFLOAT.

Engineers in England are seriously discussing the possibility that the Lusitania may be raised from the ocean bed, says The Washington Times. She lies at a depth of 300 to 400 feet, on a bottom that is supposed to be hard enough to have prevented her becoming packed in mud and grown into the sea’s floor. This is in many cases the greatest difficulty about raising a ship. The Lusitania and her cargo are estimated to weight about 40,000 tons, which is a greater weight than has ever been dragged up from the sea’s bottom. Moreover, the depth at which she lies is, perhaps, 100 feet greater than at which divers have ever successfully operated. But it is suggested that greater power and bigger appliances might cope with the greater weight; while there have been recent improvements in diving paraphernalia which might make the work possible, despite the great depth. Especially is it claimed that spherical* diving machine has been perfected, in which men could go to much greater depths and still work, using artificial light to guide them.