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The Salving Of HMS Gladiator
HMS Gladiator, a cruiser of 5750 tons and 320 feet long, sunk after a collision in 1908. After floating her with pontoons the Liverpool Salvage Association decided to haul her upright before towing her into shallow water.
In this picture she is being hauled upright by two anchored salvage vessels and their capstans, 280 tons of pig iron was strapped to one side of the ship to assist in righting her. Trestles can be seen in the distance on the salvage vessels.

The Salving Of HMS Gladiator
HMS Gladiator a cruiser of 5750 tons, and 320 feet long, sank after a collision in 1908. The Liverpool Salvage association decided to haul her into shallow water using the aid of pontoons which were sunk alongside the wreck then attached to it. They were then filled with air and the wreck floated.
Seven pontoons were used, 1 x 75 ft long and 12 ft in diameter, 2 x 40 ft by 12 ft, 2 x 50 ft by 10 ft and 2 x 50ft by 12 ft. Like enormous barrels they were made from steel and, when filled with air, lifted the ship off the bottom.
Air Locks
Air locks were extremely important for all aspect of diving work where pressure had to be maintained in enclosed areas such as diving bells and decompression chambers. Materials and men could pass through these locks and the pressure be maintained below.
Although not divers, the workmen who worked in diving bells were subject to the same rules regarding the absorption of nitrogen by the body. Tables were laid down governing how long they stayed down and how long they would take to come to the surface. Without these rules they would suffer The Bends, the diver’s terror.
Siebe Gorman and Co Ltd. Submarine Camera
At the end of World War I in 1918 the Allied command was faced with he task of clearing, not only minefields, but booby traps from coal and other mineral mines in France and Belgium. These mines had been flooded by the Germans during their retreat.
When the allies tried to clear these mines there were a number of serious accidents. The French government commissioned Siebe Gorman and Co. Ltd to make the camera shown overleaf. This consisted of a housing 4'9" high by 3'4" in diameter. It contained powerful lights and cameras facing different ways. It was lowered into the mines to detect the booby traps.
The Submersible Centrifugal Electric Pump
Salvage operations depended greatly on the salvors’ ability to move enormous quantities of water in and out of wrecks and pontoons. To do this quickly and efficiently Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd designed a Centrifugal Pump which would operate under water.
The pumps were designed in various sizes. The 12” pump at a depth of 33 feet would pump 180 tons of water per hour. A number of pumps could be used in relay, or separately as required. The water could be pumped into holding tanks or from one part of the wreck to another.

The Salving Of HMS Gladiator HMS Gladiator a cruiser of 5750 tons, and 320 feet long, sank after a collision in 1908. The Liverpool Salvage association decided to haul her into shallow water using the aid of pontoons which were sunk alongside the wreck then attached to it. They were then filled with air and the wreck floated. Seven pontoons were used, 1 x 75 ft long and 12 ft in diameter, 2 x 40 ft by 12 ft, 2 x 50 ft by 10 ft and 2 x 50ft by 12 ft. Like enormous barrels they were made from steel and, when filled with air, lifted the ship off the bottom.
Air Locks Air locks were extremely important for all aspect of diving work where pressure had to be maintained in enclosed areas such as diving bells and decompression chambers. Materials and men could pass through these locks and the pressure be maintained below. Although not divers, the workmen who worked in diving bells were subject to the same rules regarding the absorption of nitrogen by the body. Tables were laid down governing how long they stayed down and how long they would take to come to the surface. Without these rules they would suffer The Bends, the diver’s terror.
Siebe Gorman and Co Ltd. Submarine Camera At the end of World War I in 1918 the Allied command was faced with he task of clearing, not only minefields, but booby traps from coal and other mineral mines in France and Belgium. These mines had been flooded by the Germans during their retreat. When the allies tried to clear these mines there were a number of serious accidents. The French government commissioned Siebe Gorman and Co. Ltd to make the camera shown overleaf. This consisted of a housing 4'9" high by 3'4" in diameter. It contained powerful lights and cameras facing different ways. It was lowered into the mines to detect the booby traps.
The Submersible Centrifugal Electric Pump Salvage operations depended greatly on the salvors’ ability to move enormous quantities of water in and out of wrecks and pontoons. To do this quickly and efficiently Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd designed a Centrifugal Pump which would operate under water. The pumps were designed in various sizes. The 12” pump at a depth of 33 feet would pump 180 tons of water per hour. A number of pumps could be used in relay, or separately as required. The water could be pumped into holding tanks or from one part of the wreck to another.