SALVING SUNKEN CARGOES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13967, 28 September 1918, Page 2 (Supplement)

SALVING SUNKEN CARGOES.

GOODS THAT DON'T PERISH.

PRESERVED IN SALT WATER.

The Germans are already speculating on the amount of cargo likely to be salved from, sunken vessels round tho coasts of Great Britain, France, and Belgium when the war is over. In this the Huns have been anticipated by the British and Allied Governments. Experts employed by the British Government have already been at work, and plans have been prepared for a gigantic scheme of salvage in the hope of saving at least a portion of the immense stocks of cargo which have been temporarily "lost" through enemy action. Exactly how this is to be accomplished is known only to the British Government officials entrusted with this great scheme. Hundreds of the vessels Bunk by submarine, mine, or other cause lie in comparatively shallow water, or, at all events, at depths where salvage operations can be carried out with every prospect of success. Many thousands of tons of foodstuffs in hermetically sealed vessels are likely to be reclaimed with comparatively little difficulty. Tinned meats, preservod fruits, and concentrated foodstuffs in vast quantities will assuredly be salved. It has been

proved in the case of sacks of flour that the action of salt water penetrates only to a certain extent, and forms a kind of skin," thus preserving the greater part of the contents of each sack. When the Bruce Antarctic Expedition returned to this country it was found that the foodstuffs in hermetically-sealed voesels were perfectly fresh, so that cargoes sunk in the autumn of 1914 need not be regarded as irretrievably lost. The British authorities have not been so remiss in anticipating the salvage of sunken cargoes as the public may imagine. Many commodities of an edible nature have been encased in tallow or white lead to withstand the action of the water. Most of the tea which has been arriving in this country for some time has been doubly secured against the action of salt water by means of double lead casings. And many other instances might be given of the far-seeing measures adopted by the British authorities. Immense quantities of cotton have been lost within the "barred zone." Experiments conducted off the coast of Havana some years ago proved that a bale of cotton sunk to the bottom of the sea. for a period of two years was comparatively little damaged by the action of the salt water when raised to the surface. Only to something like three or four inches round the outer edge of the bale was the cotton affected by the sea. Once this was stripped off the remainder was found to be perfectly sound. The possibilities of successful-salvage in this connection are obvious. Many of the stately ships sunk in shallow water will also be raised, and even if they are so damaged as to preclude their being repaired, the material will:at least fe* added to, tk nation's stocks,