For weeks the tide washed in and out of them, leaving behind a foul sediment, and the remains of the _Araby_ gradually became part of the landscape of Boulogne harbour--two ends of a broken ship, rusted and scarred, with the boilers in the engine-room exposed to sea and air. A year passed, during which the German submarine campaign kept the Salvage Section busy day and night, then the _Araby_ was found to be interfering once more with our war activities. It was essential to extend the landing-place for flying boats and seaplanes at Boulogne, and the only available space was the strip of beach occupied by the two ends of the _Araby_. In July, 1918, the frequenters of the harbour saw figures again at work on the wreck. The job of preparing the two ends to enable them to put to sea was carried forward with vigour. Then, unwittingly, came one of those tragedies which are fortunately rare in the annals of salvage. The ends still contained quantities of oats quite spoiled by the action of the sea. Grain in these conditions gives off fumes so poisonous that any one caught in them is instantly gassed and killed. Generally the fumes are kept down by spraying with chemicals, a procedure adopted during these operations. One of the divers, however, penetrated too deeply into the hold without his diving dress and somehow got into a foul pocket of this gas. Almost at once he was overcome and fell in a state of collapse. No sooner had he fallen than his mate was also stricken by the fumes and rolled over unconscious. [Illustration: THIS TORPEDOED SHIP WAS THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO BE PATCHED WITH CONCRETE. THE TIMBER FRAMEWORK COVERING THE HOLE IN THE HULL FORMS THE MOULD INTO WHICH THE CONCRETE WAS POURED] Followed one of the gallant deeds which add fame to Britain’s name. Discovering that the two men were in difficulties, and knowing full well the deadly danger that lurked below, a salvor lowered himself in an attempt to rescue them. Instantly the gas attacked him, and he, too, went down. By the time the three men were hauled out they were all dead. [Illustration: THE CONCRETE PATCH FROM THE INSIDE OF THE SHIP, SHOWING HOW THE CONCRETE WAS REINFORCED WITH STEEL RODS] Marred as it was by this sad tragedy, the work aboard the _Araby_ was pushed ahead with unabated zeal. The concrete bulkheads, erected as described under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Jellicoe some fifteen months earlier, remained solid walls, impervious to the encroachments of the sea. So the Admiralty salvage officer completed arrangements for removing the remains of the _Araby_, and about the middle of July powerful tugs were hauling on the after end of the ship. At high tide they succeeded in towing the end off the beach into deep water, and the sailors of the Dover patrol later witnessed the strange sight of half a ship floating serenely to England. They were more astonished a few days later to see the other half being towed across.