COBH, Ireland, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Divers have recovered the telegraph and some of the steering equipment from the Lusitania, a liner sunk off Ireland by a German submarine in 1915.
Laurence Dunne, an archaeologist involved in the operation, said the items brought up this week could provide valuable information about the sinking, The Irish Times reported. These might include clues about the last orders given after the ship was hit by a torpedo.
The Lusitania, a British vessel owned by the Cunard line, sank in 330 feet of water about 12 miles from the Old Head of Kinsale in County Cork. About 1,200 people, more than half of the passengers and crew, perished.
The salvage operation is being funded by Gregg Bemis, a businessman from the United States, and is being filmed for a National Geographic television documentary.
Eoin McGarry, who heads the dive crew, told the Times the depth makes the search difficult. He said each dive takes 3 hours with divers spending only 30 minutes on the wreck and the rest of the time in the descent and ascent.
