SALVAGE BY TUBE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 2 November 1907, Page 6

SALVAGE BY TUBE.

TO RECOVER BULLION FROM A WRECK OF 1799.

An American order his been placed at Wyvnenhoe, Ksses, for the construction of a tul>o plant under the Simon Lake system to salve bullion from 11.J1.5. Lutino, wrecked off Teisdieflmg, Holland, in 1799, with gold to the value of £347,Gf)7 on board, <,f which only £100,824 worth has Wn recovered.

The tube is really cn improved type of diving bell. Tito top is secured Uj a barge and the other end lowered when required by watrr ballast. A man can thus pass from the deck of the barge to the bed of the soa. Air lock.', enable the bottom door to be ojMwd, so that what is salved at the foot of tho tube can be handled without diving dress. Divers can alsu leave the tube from tho bottom end.

Various attempts to solve tlic Lutine's bullion have been made with ordinary plant during the past few years without success owing to the depth of the sand covering the wreck.

This sand will have to bo dredged away, and the interior of the ship will then be cleared by means of compressed air appliances. Tli? first ntt-'/nipt to salve the sunken Lufcine's cargo was made, by the Dutch Government during 1800-1, but tbougn only primitive tongs, nippers, and inm landing nets were used by fishermen, £55.770 worth of treasure was recovered. Then the wreck settled down into Hit: sand and lieeanie covered.

Im 1814 Mr Pirn* itaclianzier, with a grant of 300 gueldi'i.s from the King of Kollcdan, made another attempt, but he only recovered eight Louis tl'or, one gold piastre, and eight silver piastre. A company in 1821 spent £50,000 in vain, and then Lloyds examined the wreck, but in a third salvage nothing of any value was found. Between 1E57 and 1860 forty-two bars of gold, sixty-four bars of sifiver and some coins, of a total value of £44,124. were recovered. In 1894 a power to salve was made over to the Lutino Syndicate, finally lapsing in 1900. A recent attempt ha.s only resulted in the recovery of a few loose coins and somo cannon.