Page 28 - aruba-today-20181215

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 15 december 2018

Scientists scour WWI shipwreck to solve military mystery

CHRISTINA LARSON shon, a research engineer
AP Science Writer at the Naval Surface War-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A fare Center in Maryland,
hundred years ago, a mys- who also assisted the inves-
terious explosion hit the only tigation. The underwater
major U.S. warship to sink explosive hit an unguard-
during World War I. Now ed lower part of the ship,
the Navy believes it has the where the hull was only
answer to what doomed about a half inch thick, said
the USS San Diego: An un- Nahshon. Had it struck the
derwater mine set by a warship’s armored band,
German submarine cruis- the 5-inch thick steel plat-
ing in waters just miles from ing would have minimized
New York City. the impact.
That’s the conclusion of an After the blast, the com-
investigation by scientists, mander directed the ship’s
archaeologists and histori- gunners to “open fire on
ans convened by the U.S. anything resembling a
Naval History and Heritage periscope.” Between 30
Command. Last summer, and 40 rounds were fired,
the researchers sent an un- in case an enemy subma-
manned underwater vessel rine was nearby. The cap-
to inspect the site off New tain was aware German U-
York’s Long Island. Their boats may have operating
analysis ruled out a tor- in the area.
pedo and sabotage, two This Jan. 28, 1915 made available by the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command shows the As the ship began to sink,
other possible scenarios. USS San Diego while serving as flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Her name had been changed from Christy ordered the crew
The San Diego was sailing to California in September 1914. to pile into life rafts and
New York on July 19, 1918, Associated Press dinghies. A passing whale-
when an external explo- Catsambis, an underwa- Delaware marine scientist The mine was anchored at boat and two steamships
sion near the engine room ter archaeologist with the who collaborated on the optimal depth to tear open helped rescue most of the
shook the armored cruiser. Navy. He presented the study. a warship, said Ken Nah- San Diego’s 1,100 sailors.q
Water rushed into the hull. findings this week in Wash-
Within minutes, the 500-foot ington at the annual meet-
warship began to capsize. ing of the American Geo- Alaska groups sue EPA to enforce
Weighed down with 2,900 physical Union.
tons of coal for a planned Today, the shipwreck of
voyage across the Atlan- San Diego is a rusting but clean air laws in Fairbanks
tic Ocean, the vessel sank well-preserved sanctuary
in less than a half hour. Six for fish and lobsters. The re- By DAN JOLING
crew members died. searchers used information Associated Press
“The explosion felt like a from the underwater vessel ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)
dull heavy thud,” Capt. to create high-resolution — Three Alaska groups
Harley Hannibal Christy, 3D maps of the wreck. sued Friday to demand the
commander of the USS San They modeled impact and Environmental Protection
Diego, wrote in a naval in- flooding scenarios to ana- Agency enforce the clean-
quiry commissioned shortly lyze how the ship might up of some of the nation’s
after the warship sank. He have been attacked. most polluted winter air
had been standing on the The flooding patterns around the state’s second-
bridge of the ship, on a weren’t consistent with largest city. In this Jan. 8, 2009, file photo, ice fog envelops downtown
clear day with light winds. an explosion set inside the The lawsuit filed in Seattle Fairbanks, Alaska.
German naval records re- vessel. And the hole didn’t by environmental law firm Associated Press
covered after the war re- look like a torpedo strike. Earthjustice says the state Clean Air, one of the groups nationwide, according to
vealed that U-boat 156 “Torpedoes of the time of Alaska has failed to sub- suing, said in a statement. the lawsuit.
had sailed just off the coast carried more explosives mit a legally compliant Suzanne Skadowski, a A major source of fine par-
of New York, planting ex- than mines — and would plan to address the prob- spokeswoman for the EPA ticulate around Fairbanks is
plosives. have shown more immedi- lem of particulate pollution in Seattle, said she could woodstoves, which many
“We believe that U-156 ate damage,” said Arthur caused by wood-burning not respond immediate- residents use to warm
sunk San Diego,” said Alexis Trembanis, at University of stoves and other sources ly to the lawsuit but that homes instead of more
in the Fairbanks area. It agency staff members expensive fuel in a region
urges the U.S. agency to have put a lot of time, ef- that routinely sees winter
set a deadline for a state fort and resources into temperatures dip to minus
cleanup plan and impose helping the state and Fair- 40 degrees. The pollution
a federal proposal with banks seek cleaner air. The problem also is worsened
stricter requirements if Alas- agency designated the by hills surrounding Fair-
ka does not act within the Fairbanks North Star Bor- banks creating a bowl ef-
timeframe. ough as out of compliance fect. Particulate can be
“We’ve been waiting for with federal air standards in trapped by inversions, lay-
over 10 years for action November 2009. The bor- ers of warmer air that cap
that results in cleaner air,” ough has more violations cold, dirty air and keep it
Patrice Lee of Citizens for than any other such area from dissipating.q