THE EGYPT’S TREASURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 148, 8 June 1932, Page 8

THE EGYPT’S TREASURE

VALUABLES RAISED. PLATE AND SPORTING RIFLES. London, June 7. Tho “Daily Mail’s” special cor. respondent says that the Brest divers have raised the first valuables from the Egypt’s strongroom winch consist of a quantity of silver plate broken out of tho cases owing to the shock of the blasting charges. They were badly damaged by water. There was also a case of two magnificent sporting rifles on which the gold plate was engraved with a crown and initials which were identified as part of a large shipment for the Maharajah of Patiala. The Artiglio’s chief diver, Raffaclli, inspected the strongroom and reported that other valuables besides bullion were stored there. Salvage will not be long delayed.

The attempt to recover the sunken bullion, worth about £1,000,000, from the wreck of the P. and O. liner Egypt, is in the hands of the Sorima Company, of Genoa. Their new salvage ship, the Artiglio, named after the old Artiglio which was lost in 1930, was fitted out at Brest. She is half as big again as the old Artiglio in tonnage and correspondingly more roomy and more fully equipped. In the saloon bulkhead is a built-in strong-box for the ingots and coin from the Egypt. The new Artiglio is a fine sea boat, and can •steam 11 knots when pressed. Three of the survivors from tho old Artiglio are serving in her successor. They are Amedeo Raffaclli, the first officer; and two seamen —Vialante Cortopassi and Giulia Sartini. Captain Carli, formerly of the salvage ship liostro, is in command. Mario Raffaelli, who was third diver in the old Artiglio at Belle Isle in 1928, has succeeded Alberto Gianni, who was killed, as chief diver. Special grabs have been designed to scoop up the gold. When all the gold is salved, 624 per cent, will go to the Italian syndicate owning tho salvage vessel and 37} per cent to the underwriters. All the five decks of the Egypt which cover tho bullion rooms have been broken up and buckled by high explosive bombs; and then the debris of iron and steel and wood has been torn out of the heart of the ship by gigantic grips. The divers work 400 feet below the surface in steel containers, windowed at the sides and bottom, and they direct by telephone to tho ship above, the dropping of the bombs and the grip tackle.

It was never known publicly until recently that the site of tho wreck of the Egypt was found entirely by accj* dent. The supposed position of the wreck was marked out and buoyed; and then, for long, unfruitful weeks, dragging operations were carried out. Nothing could be found. The wreck of the Egypt had disappeared, and the expedition was giving up the task as hopeless. It began to collect its buoys before sailing for port. One buoy had broken away from its anchorage, and had drifted a long distance to the seaward. When that drifting buoy was located it was found to have fouled some under-sea obstruction. Divers were sent down, and there was the Egypt.