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Show SHIPS SAVED BY COMPRESSED AIR The British reveal that hundreds of British tankers have been saved through the use of compressed air pumps after they were struck by torpedoes. William Lynn Nelson, 52-year-old engineer, is given credit for the idea to use compressed air in damaged sections of a ship to keep out the nea. The trick worked and now ships have an air line, running run-ning the full length of the vessel, with pumps at the bow and stern. The first tanker with the compressors com-pressors was hit by three torpedoes. torpe-does. The pumps enabled the vessel ves-sel to proceed 1200 miles to a port for repairs. The use of compressed air to keep water from flooding a vessel is so sensible that it seems strange no one had thought of it before. In addition to keeping the water out of the ship, the air tends to add to ths buoyancy of the vessel. |