MARINE SALVAGE WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1919, Page 4

MARINE SALVAGE WORK.

A SPLENDID RECORD. SOME MARVELLOUS ACHIEVE. MENTS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—CoDrrlgbt Received Aug. 31, 6.5 p.m. London, Aug. 30. ' The Daily Chronicle states that ReaN Admiral Phillpotts had completed four years' salvage operations and salved +lO vessels, valued at flfty millions. The Admiral has wholly relied upon Bteamers with extraordinary pumps, and six lifting lighters converted from hopper dredgers, which, with nine-inch trwi will support a strain of 2000 tons. In one instance he salved the collier Roeytlr, gf 2700 tons. She was recommiuioned within three months', although she had been submerged for seven months. The salving of £ 1,900,000 in bullion from the Laurentic involved the forcing of the strong rooms with explosives, the divers working at a depth of twenty* three fathoms.

In some cases, patches, like the lid of a roll top desk, were placed over torpedo wounds and the vessels refloated, but sank before they reached harbor, ana weeks of arduous work were wasted.

Salvage craft, within ten dayi, refloated a copvoy of three merchantmen and two destroyers, which grounded in a fog. Two of these were recovered by the novel method of a destroyer racing around at top speed creating a wash and lifting the stranded vessels clear. A similar method was used in the ewe of the Narragansott, which wae in danger of breaking her back off the Isle of Wight. Salvage workers raised gome "U" boats, including one sunk thirty-five miles off the Tyne, with a displacement of 700 tons. The authorities desired to examine the submarine closely, so the was taken in tow and brought to the mouth of the Tyne, where she wa» held up for four hours before being allowed to 'enter. During the delay, the submarine slipped from the wires, but she was again grappled up and brought into harbor- ■

When the armistice wan rgned, the salvagers were engaged in examining a "U" boat which was entangled in a defensive net and then mined. The direr, who was seeking papers, discovered the crew and all the officers, and found pro* truding from the hatchway a pair of hands whose lifeless tinkers clutched the documents he sought—-Aua.-NJZ. Cabto Assn,