1961-11-25 — Page 12

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1961.

will

Diving_for_pleasure (2) The sea not give up its

treasure

I NOW SUGGESTED that "Life" sponsor an expedition. After a few preliminaries, Bob Marx gladly accepted our backing and

In his fascinating book "Diving for Pleasure and Treasure” Clay Blair, jun., relates some exciting adven- tures in skin diving. Last week he started the story of his hunt for the gunship, Moni- tor, referred to as the "Yankee Cheese-Box," and this week he tells of the finding of the ship buried beneath the sand and the dis- appearance again of the ship

as the sea and sand reclaimed their victim.

I lost no time in preparing the new expedi- fathometer was inadequate for our purpose. We would need help

tion.

a

To help with the diving, Marx recruited 25-year-old Marine Lt Keith Ingram, native of Houston, Texas.

The three of us loaded my car with the paraphernalia of diving, including three sets of aqualungs, numerous face plates, snorkles, flippers, spear-guns, an air com- pressor, rubber life rafts, crowbars, and so on, and we set off.

At Cape Hatteras we set up headquarters in a tourist home operated by a man named William Cochran, who also owned and operated the only aircraft on Hatteras.

We explained that we might need him in our operation to search for the Monitor from the air. In the early ofter- noon we located a boat with a fathometer, a 64 ft fishing vessel, the Sterling, skippered by Harmon Willis, and made arrangements to get under way the following morning at

0500.

On Monday morning, July 11, the second day of operations, we got underway at 0500 and arriv ed on station at 0800 where we found the Coast and Geodelk

probable" area looked charm- ous. But worse thun that was the thought that if Marx's bear- ings were off one or two degrees, which was quite possible, the te beyond our Monitor would marked area.

survey Ship Stirni, a 110-foot converted submarine chaser (sc), riding at anchor just out- side our buoy pattern.

Al 0900 we arrived at The When viewed from the mast- position and, after head of our fishing vessel, the probuble sighting some range beacons on the coust and checking with Marx's

we tossed the compass, first buoys over the side. Then turned seaward and dropped We two more buoys in line with the first. spaced about 350 yards apart. Finally, wr laid out two of three budys in more strings line with the middle, or first, tow

We returned to port that even- ing somewhat discouraged after our Arst day's operation. seemed obvious that

We came alongisde and went

on board Immediately to confer officer, Com. C. H. Reed,

with the ship's commanding

and

the executive officer Lieut. J, R. Plaggmier

They asked how they could

We requested a sonar help fathometer search through the area marked by our buoys.

The Sirni got underway and we were within half an hour standing watch on the fathometer --an inginitely superior instru- ment to the Sterling's

as the ship

back cruised

forth through the same pattern we had followed The day previous. Later, we shifted closer inshore and steamed a similar pattern. Curiously, netr point 2, the Surn's fathometer also register

and

ed unusual indications.

By Clay Blair (Jnr.)

minutes later, the sonar operator Meantime, Marx and Ingram Coming up the ladder he was reported good contact which we began preparing the

diving bubbling. It's there! I saw ! discovered was very near point equipment. Then, at 0812. Marx The turret's sticking out of the Z. Commander Reed set up a went over the side wearing a Sand." pinging sonar run on the target, double-tank aqualung. By then, tracking the boal was to seaward of the buoy, A brisk wind was blow- ing from the southwest and the current was strong from the same direction.

we were

as though down an enemy submarine, and we pinpointed the exact position.

The sonar operator said, "I Is as good a metallic contact as we have had in a long time.”

We were up early next day and under way shortly after- ward, coming alongside our tish- We jump- ing vessel Sterling. AL 1400 Commander Reeded aboard. The Sterling follow- ordered the fathometer run

which ed the Stimi to point secured but.

request. our

Commander Reed plotted pre- agreed to make several sonar cisely. There wit dropped a sweeps, even though we were homemade marker buoy in 43 very close inshore (less than » feet of water The Stirni steam- half-mile at times) where sonar ed to one side and let go her

sometimes distorted Ten anchor

፩፡

the

is

at

FORD

Falcon

No other compact measures up to Falcon

Measure the room.

Measure the performance.

Measure the luggage space.

Measure the gas mileage.

Western Cars Ltd.

Measure the handling.

Measure the oil used.

Marker

Aukes was

He agreed to take the brick down going forward again-were we if he could also take the bottle, able to get the anchor up. When He stuck the bottle in his weight we saw it we were stunned: one belt and, accompanied by In- of its heavy steel gram, started down the ladder. severely bent.. There could be Unfortunately, the honey bottle only one explanation: that ad- fell out of his belt, and smashed vanced by the Sterling's skipper. Ironically our own uncher had on the deck.

a while I thought Marx caught in the turret port of the For would break down and weep, but Monitor. after I agreed that he might put another bottle in the turret on None of us doubted that the the next trip, he consented to Monitor could be relocated with a minimum of effort. It was placing the brick in the connon

was wearing the just a matter of pinpointing the Marx port. Marx related what happened

sume tank he used on the first hulk in a space not much larger When he went under,

dive because below

the other tanks than a basketball court. he swam. for the buoy line.

were low.

Next day efforts to locate the rae visionty was 5 or 6 1eet.

About then, the navigator Monitor were unsuccessful. He got close enough to the line

"Go back down and tie a ne returned from the Stirni with a to see it and then descended to to the turret,” I said.

gleel-cable buoy and the sextant the bottom.

*Tie

a line to it? Hell, there's At my request, he took a dx nothing to tie a line to.. It's immediately. perfectly round," he said.

A hulk

Scarcely able to believe his words, but not daring to lose this lucky opportunity, I picked up a buoy and heaved it toward the spot where Marx had first come up. It sailed about 10 feet, splashing into the water about 20 feet short of the aiming point. My intention was to mark the turret.

"Put the line in one cannon

port and bring it out the other,"

said.

Over again

The currents were extremely

strong. The men were being car- ried far away from the boat. Marx paced restlessly back und forth on the deck of the Sterling. Conditions

were so bad that Monitor Expedition Number

One

Marx meanwhile had returned

was called to a halt. We packed up and depa

departed

for buried in the sand a mile

Almost Instantly, he picked up a peedhar trough-like forma Ition on the floor of the ocean

Ordinarily, the ocean flour in the

flat, hard area is perfectly

Hulks pressed sand.

covered over by sand are sometimes de lineated by such trough-like

Instead, Marx decided to mark to the surface after only about Cape Hatteras, leaving the Moni- lines, caused by current working the turret with two small yellow one or two minutes.

Again he offshore. sand away from the hull.

buoys anchored

hon-net was with

dizzy and almost un- Marx instantly reaused that weights. He instructed Ingran conscious. For the second time, the trough marked a hulk, he to accompany him below.

says, so he started swimming down the gutter, pulling himself along by digging his bands in the sand. After about a minute or two, he came upon the Moni- tor turret, slicking out of the sand about three ch Девб.

He says he swam in a com- plete circle around the turret, looking it over carefully. He noticed the spacing of the large rivets. They compared favour- ably with those on the original plans of the Monitor, coples of which Marx possessed and had studied for months.

But the clincher, Marx thought, would be the two can- non ports. So he swam around the turret again, and soon found them.

"You can't," he said. "It's full of sand or something."

we pulled him onboard the boat. Soon Marx returned to the He complained to ሱ violent surface dazed and half conscious, headache. We took off his

Exasperating

My air. My air," he moaned, diving equipment and sent him I returned to Washington and it's bad." We look off his lung to lie down in orie of the was soon swept up in other mat- and eased him on the deck. Sterling's bunks.

ters. But the lure of the Monl-

Ingram came back on board a Ingram was all down. We for was strong. To have come few minutes later and told me watched his bubbles from the so close and failed at the very

'IT'S THERE

SAW IT'

least to obtain underwater pic- tures of the hulk was exthin.

three weeks, I had pro-

posed a second expedition to "Life's" editors. The Coast and Geodetic Survey agreed again to assist us.

he circled behind the men

Since Marx was still out of commission, we made arrange ments for a Navy Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) of frog- on leave to handle the diving.

But this expedition, too, proved Then, suddenly, Marx ran from fruitless. Despite sonar axes and Since the boat had swung the bunkhouse sereaming, relentless dragging operations the nearly over the spot by then, I "Where's Ingram? Where's In- Monitor could not be found.. tossed over another large marker gram?" buoy,

Only about two or three that he had passed over the tur- deck as inches of the tops of the ports fet and could see it clearly boat. were visible above the sand, sticking out of the sand. Marx pui nis groven hand inside each of the ports and felt some ining bard-something ne identi- fied

48 sand packed inside the turret. Then he swam up and down the trougn again, noting

to the Monitor.

snorkel a

second

Having found nothing, and Before we could reassure currents of Cape

weary of battling the fearsome About that time the wind that it formed an outline similar shifted, blowing fresh from the Marx, or even tell him that we divers lost heart Hatteras, the eart expedition northwest. A rain squall moved face mask and

had Ingram in sight, he grabbed

Thus our came to a close. I puzzled over Believing he had enough iden- in, and the seas became choppy. breathing tube and went direct its negative outcome for weeks, tification, Marx swam to the In the growing confusion on over the side. We were all as- studying the meticulous hour-by- the Sterling, we were paid a tonished by this performance. hour jog-I had kept on the two visit by the navigator and three

Thinking Marx was

delirous. enlisted

Sterni,

expeditions. Then men of the

hen finally 1 which was still anchored nearby, go after him. But suddenly he

taking off my shoes to solved the mystery, I briefed them on the events seemed rational again, swim- noted, albeit belatedly, that the On the first expedition, I which had transpired and then mung calmly along on the sur-

depth of

of the asked if they would return to the

water in our area the face. However, when he neared measured 43ft. On the second

the ladder. I climbed down,

the Navy frogmen registered the depth at 40ft. checked with the fishermen on Cape Hatteras, asking

surface, coming up directly over the turret.

Yelled

grabbed him by the back of his

Sta

him out of the water.

I was Arst to see Marx break Stirni immediately for water.. He came up about 50 items: a sextant so that we could grab feet away on the seaward side of take a fix, and material to make sweat shirt, and literally yanked the Sterling. He pushed his face a reliable buoy of some kind to mask back on his head, jerked mark the turret, They pushed his aqualung mouthpiece from off in the outboard skiff. his mouth, and yelled.

Since his sudden rise to the surface was a complete surprise (none of us expected that he would find the hulk so quickly) assumed that he was trouble.

in In fact, I believed that he had

how

After getting him back on was that I could have obtained board, we admonished him and two different readings on that

"Hell,"

Not long afterward, Marx was ordered him to return to his flat bottom. back on his feet, and for a while burde

seemed that he would recover quickly. He said he wanted to go. down again,

It

й brick and tied it I picked up to the end of the safety line and Bald: "Loote, just jam this brick

Fouled

Ingram came back on board a'

they replied; "the depth of the water around here changes all the time. The sand the sweeps back and forth, on banks like sand on a desert. A

of three feet, is nothing.

been-attacked by one of the ball indide one vi the cannon ports few minutegintor, Carrying the range de 02 20 gr 20 feet 15

dozen hammerhead sharks that and cover it up with sand. At brick, with the disappointing re- common: Infect the change had been prowing around the least we will have a messenger port that he was unable to storm between your two ex- was probably caused by that big Sterling that morning.

line and later we can drag down locate the turret. We told him peditions." I jumped to the deck and sig- a more elaborate trucy cable to rest for a while until we had At Hatteras, a shift in the

Marx would not bear of this completed rigging nalled Ingram to swim around

the steel and help Marx. Ingram hurried First, he insisted, he must stake cable buoy,

to

water depth of three feet was

to the boat and scrambled up the a claim on the hulk, This desire. In the end we failed to put the considered "nothing" But for ladder. Meantime, I ran back arose out of the long background. uincher in the turret The steel- Marx drat, found the Monitor us it had been crucial. When the seaward side of the boat of fouding with MacNeill, Marx rable buoy was left Just as I turret, the only exposed portion keep watch on Marx. Tie was was determined to leave some was near the boat and out of the Monitor its wos, allcking still yeiling. Then I noticed that kind of marker inside the turret, cluster of buoys, none of which, he was pointing both thumbs Accordingly, we took time to was more than ort apart, since tbove the sand bottom three feel.

write a note Monitor: Mark al hands were

The change in bottom, tram 84ft exhausted, down into the water, jabbing,

to 40ft was just enough to cover *1065," in the confusion, the skip and Ingram, 0900 July 12, specially Marx, we decided to per and mate had come out of We made a try sealing the return to work the turret completely the cabin. On my Instructions, pole In a Coke bottle, but we When we prepared to

to raise A quarte fuch couldn't get the top back on the the Sterling's anchor, we found they pulled in hemp rope which Marx was supe bottle. After this fullo attest that it was fouled on the bot posed to be holding in his hand I soured the honey our of tom. This fact struck the sake is a safety precaution. But Marx Sloux Bee Brand hider bottle the je bed beds the Ware Li hnd let the rope go. I pleked up (how lowly it poured!), and remarked. The ato

This done I was able to

arrange a compromise with Mark, training, Backing the bongland

another line and tossed it to put the nuto Inside, Mary. He grabbed 1 and 1 lowed him to the boat,

NEXT WEEK:

Hunting sharks