SHIP BLOWN TO PIECES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 65, 10 December 1930, Page 11

SHIP BLOWN TO PIECES

Terrific Explosion in Sunken Wreck WAR' MUNITIONS CAUSE DISASTER Appalling Finale to Salvage Operations (United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (“Times” Cables) (Rec. December 9, 9 p.m.) London, December 8. The famous Italian salvage ship Artiglio, which was used to recover treasure from the sunken steamer Egypt, was blown to pieces in a terrific explosion in the channel off (juiberon Bay. Sixteen men were killed, and seven who were picked up by another salvage vessel, arc in hospital. Four of the survivors are seriously injured. Tile disaster was caused by the ignition of several hundreds of tons of war munitions on the steamer Florence which was sunk in 1918. Two divers were cut off and drowned, their bodies being recovered later. The Artiglio was some distance from the sunken Florence, but the explosion was so violent that she was shattered in an instant.

The correspondent of “The Times” at Lorient, describing the explosion on the wrecked 'Florence gives an eyewitness’s terse account.

“An enormous column of smoke and water rose up 900 feet. When it cleared away the Artiglio was gone.” The sixteen who perished with herincluded the world's best-known divers.

The Artiglio, after suspending work on the Egypt in the autumn, remained in French waters in readiness for the resumption of the task of dynamiting a way to the Egypt’s strongroom, which is filled with £1,006,000 worth of gold, at the earliest possible date in 1931. Meanwhile, with, her consort the Rostro, she undertook miscellaneous salvaging in sheltered waters. One job was to clear the wreck of the Florence, sunk in 1918 with a cargo of munitions from America. Careful Preparations. The ship was lying in 50 feet of water with her masts protruding, and divers decided to demolish her as safely as possible with explosives. They completed all preparations yesterday. When they placed the charges about the wreck, the Artiglio retired 100 yards, which was as far as the electric wires connected with the charges would permit. The shots were fired, but their effects had been miscalculated and the whole of the Florence’s munitions blew up. What followed cannot be known with certainty. The detonation was so violent that it either caused the ignition of th© explosives aboard the. Artiglio or the colossal upheaval of water instantly engulfed her.

The Rostro, which was anchored in the vicinity, rushed up and rescued seven survivors, four of whom- were seriously injured. Captain Bertholotto and three divers—Gianni, Franceschi, and Bargellini—were among those on deck and

were probably killed by the explosion. The engine-room staff and others below had no chance to escape.

Experienced Divers.

Gianni and Franceschi had each 20 years’ experience in rubber-suit diving before using special deep-sea apparatus. Bargellini had 24 years’ experience.

All three were 15st. men with enormous muscular development. They spent the greater part of the last two years roaming the sea-bed, locating the Egypt. All leave widows and children.

The Artiglio was insured for £35,000. She was fitted with valuable plant.

“Leap into the Air.”

Giuseppi Gagli, the wireless operator on board the Artiglio, interviewed in hospital, said the ship seemed suddenly to leap into the air. He was tossed over several times while in the air and could see the ship’s fragments falling into a boiling cauldron. Gagli explained that dynamite bombs were placed in the after-hold of the Florence In the expectation that they merely would blow the hull of the wreck asunder. > ■ Instead, apparently the whole cargo of several hundred tons of munitions blew up.

The Artigilio was a steel, single-screw steamer of 284 tons, and was built by Messrs. Mackie and Thomson at Glasgow in 1906 for Italian owners to be used as a fishing vessel. She was 148.8 ft. long, 23ft. wide, and lift, in depth. In August last, with the Raffio, she engaged in a search for the sunken Egypt in an endeavour to salvage over £1,000,000 worth of bullion which had been lying at the bottom of the sea since the ship went down in 1922 off the coast of France. The explosives were used for blowing the wreck to pieces in order to get at the bullion. Quiberan Bay is on the southern coast of France, which flanks the Bay of Biscay.