Former dive shop owner to salvage RMS Republic

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Mass (20 July 2005) -- Ninety-six years ago, in January fog, a very large ship went down about 50 miles off Nantucket. Norman Gardiner, John Farrington, William "Dougie" Campbell, and at least one other Vineyard man were among the crew of divers when the wreck of the RMS Republic, 570 feet long and older White Star Line sister of the notorious Titanic, was discovered in 1981. She lay in more than 200 feet of water, six miles from the official coordinates made public by British and American authorities just after she sank.



The RMS (for "Royal Mail Ship") Republic was notable for many reasons but most spectacularly for the amount of gold she purportedly had stashed in her second-class deck, emptied of passengers perhaps for that purpose. Anywhere between $1 and $15 billion worth in today's money went to the bottom with the Republic after she was struck by the Italian liner Florida, according to Martin Bayerle, 54, of New York, the impassioned human engine behind the search, discovery, and rescue efforts that have stretched over the last 25 years.

Last week, Mr. Bayerle again made news with the decision handed down by US District Court Judge Nancy Gertner granting him world salvage rights to the RMS Republic, thus clearing the way for Mr. Bayerle's total commitment to the recovery project.

On the day the Republic was found, John Farrington, 54, and Dougie Campbell, now dead, his diving partner, were among the first crews to go down. According to Mr. Farrington, they dove to a level at which disorientation sets in, around 180 feet.

Mr. Farrington a certified "hard-hat" and salvage diver at the time, said the expedition was "on a shoestring. Really we were just trying to locate it. I can't tell you how far down we went after 180, whether it was 10, 20, 30 feet more. I think we found parts of the ship around 220, 230. We had to have lights that deep."

He describes the ship that may eventually dwarf every other treasure find in the world as "a big hunk of red rusted material" in the dark before him. "We had the two tanks and then a bail out tank. We didn't have much margin for error." The "bail out" tank, Mr. Farrington said, is a small tank of air divers carry to help them out of a jam.

"We were young, and it was exciting," said Mr. Farrington. "It was the lure of gold."

In the summer of 2006, when the salvage effort starts in earnest, Mr. Gardiner will once again be part of Mr. Bayerle's crew, though his new job description will be videographer, whereas in 1981 he was signed on because he "fit the billet," he said. "I was a certified diver and could cook."

Mr. Gardiner, who retired from his Coast Guard diver's job many years ago, was stationed on Martha's Vineyard, in Menemsha, in the early 1960s.

Islanders may remember Mr. Bayerle's MV Scuba Headquarters, Inc. located in the building that now houses galleries and a restaurant across from the Black Dog Tavern. At the time, in the mid-70s, the storefront was "more of a headquarters than a dive shop," Mr. Bayerle said. Part of the original backing team included Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi, who wrote checks imprinted with "Black Ball Production Company." And one of the crew's initial meetings was held at James Taylor's house, according to Mr. Bayerle. "He wasn't there, but a friend of his said, come on over, so that's where we met."

MV Scuba HQ, Inc. closed in 1981 after Mr. Bayerle's initial research on the Republic paid off, at which time he began to concentrate his energy on the wreck that he and his team had found after years of homework and two-and-a-half days of searching.

The partial, highly debatable list of the Republic's theoretical cargo reads:

5 tons of newly minted American Gold Eagle coins valued at $3 million in 1909.
15 tons of gold bars.
A Navy payroll with estimated current value around $70 million.
Several tons of silver, as well as passengers' jewelry.
Mr. Bayerle told The Times that his company is now looking around for a vessel larger than the one being currently employed, according to Mr. Bayerle, "something large enough to accommodate the recovery effort we're mounting, which will involve a 3D map of the entire search area." The inexhaustibly knowledgeable Mr. Bayerle said the composition of a 3D map involves "three or four pingers [sonar devices] on the bottom combined with a towed sonar array used with GPS to map exact coordinates," resulting in an exact map of the topography of the area. The murkiness of the Atlantic, the depth of water and the wreck size make photography impractical.

The project now is waiting out the mandatory 180-day advance notice period to allow the Coast Guard to broadcast a notice to mariners that a salvage effort will be taking place in a major shipping lane, effectively closing off this summer to any recovery efforts.

The sinking of the RMS Republic is shrouded in unanswered questions, such as why no formal inquiry into the sinking was held and why the second class deck area was methodically emptied of passengers, according to White Star Line records.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i050720.html

Gold!?!? p: Let me at it!!!! snor: This ole' Pirate could always use some gold!!!! p:

In one of the Sea Hunters volumes, Clive made a mention how the amount of treasure on a ship "multiplies" though the generations....a ship went down with little of volume. The next generation's retelling tells that there were thousands of dollars in cash, and the next generation tells of a magnificent treasure unlike that ever seen before.
I wonder if something similar is possible here. A "highly debatable" cargo list is an interesting term to take note of here. :)

Good story, nonetheless.

Gold Hunts are still fun and if have the time and $$$$$$$ to do it why not.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional...articleid=93108

I'm with you if you have the money and time. Who wouldn't like to go on areal treasure hunt? p:

Treasure hunts are always a qamble, but it makes life fun. To have the time and money to persue an adventure would be awesome. th: to the people who can.

Anyone know if there are still plans for the salvage operation to go ahead? I knew about the Olympic which I think is resting on the bottom in the Med. Wasn't aware of the Republic, very cool.

Cheers

Andy

HI Andy, this is what's going on so far...

The project now is waiting out the mandatory 180-day advance notice period to allow the Coast Guard to broadcast a notice to mariners that a salvage effort will be taking place in a major shipping lane, effectively closing off this summer to any recovery efforts.

Thanks Empress, although the gold hunt is exciting stuff, I'm keen to find out more about the wreck itself and how she got there. Something that big and relatively accessible is just fascinating (not that I can dive any more than 18 metres but you know what I mean!). LOL!

Cheers

Andy

There are quite a few books out there on her that will give you the history. You can even google her and find out about her. Just make sure you type in the right Republic or you'll think that all the gold has been brought up. :)

That's an interesting story. I wonder how much of it is true...about the money and such. I want to do things like that for the rest of my life. Find out about a particular wreck or ship or even animal and devote myself to it's discovery. It would be such an experience and so much knowledge....man....

It's amazing that there is more than one gold carrying "Republic"! Googled "RMS Republic" and got what I was after but not before having a good read of the "SS Republlic"! Ha, so easily distracted!

The official RMS Republic site is well hard core too! Very comprehensive.

Cheers beer:

Andy

I'm really bad about that too! I love learning things and when I start I go all over the place. One of my favorite things that I just looked up was the history of pizza delivery...good stuff that.

Now you've done it! LOL!

I don't remember why but all of a sudden I was like, "Whoa...where did that start and how?" So I got online. It was rather interesting.

Where would we be without Pizza Delivery???? :lol:

I would be in a whole world of hurt without food delivery of any kind...especially Chinese.....but I love myself some pizza too!!! (can you guys tell I'm at work and it's lunch time?!?!?!)

Haha!!!.............My Chinese delivery boy's name in Jason. ^_^

.........My fingers shall remain crossed until they bring up the gold. t:

-Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi??? :huh:

tonym5 just loves PIZZA. p: beer:

Didn't know pizza came in gold.... j:

I LOVE CHINESE FOOD!!!! I like pizza too, but I've just had so much of it!!! The two chinese places that I order from both know my regular orders...it's so sad....