Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-08-25
SOME DEFECTIVE MACHINERY
Causes Submarine Boat Nearly To
Be st-Awful Experience
of The Crew.

1t seldom falls TO the lot of a crew
10 have such an awful experience as
that which the crew of the submarine
torpedoboat Porpoise had last Monday
The Porpoise is attached to the tor.
pedo station at Newport, II. L., of
Brentons' Reef lightship. She is in
charge of Lieutenant Charles p. Mel
son, with Lieutenant l.. s. Shapley
and crew of eight men, and they
went of the lightship ON Monday and
there submerged, preparatory for trim
ming, at a depth of twenty feet.
Owing TO defect in the sea casks,
or diving rudders the boat kept set
tling until she rested ON the bottom. a
depth of 100 feet. 1t was apparent
that something was the matter, and
the tanks were blown out TO give the
vessel buoyancy. but when they were
emptied the Porpoise failed To rise To
the surface. Ordinarily the boat
should have remained stationary at
twenty feet. When she touched bot
tom she was at depth greater than
il is safe for any submarine TO go,
and the pressure was very great. Lieu
tenant Nelson realized this and at
once set the crew to work to get the
boat TO the surafce. The only way 60
do this was TO force out the water in
the tanks, and preparations were at
once made TO do this.
When the valves were opened the
pressure was so great that the valves
and pipes burst and they were useless.
Then it was seen that water was com
ing in not only through the torpedo
tube in the bow, but through the
seams in the side. A difficult problem
was before the crew, but there was
nothing to do but TO get the water out
of the trimming tanks in some man
ner. The only way this could be done
was with an air pump worked by
hand, which is always carried in the
boat. Enough pressure was sent into
the tanks TO send the boat upward at
the rate of 1870 feet in fifteen seconds,
but still she refused to bulge, and all
the time the water was coming in
The crew kept at their air pump and
after forty five minutes it was seen
that there was a buoyancy showing,
and soon the boat began TO rise.
As soon as she had passed the heavy
pressure zone she came TO the surface
all right. At that time there was
fifteen inches of water i'll the vessel,
which, TO the crew, appeared as if it
was slowly creeping up to drown
them. There was no escape from the
vessel. To open the top of the con
ming tower meant the entrance of
water that would have meant drown
ing, and there was nothing for the
crew to do but TO keep at their pumps,
which they did with all their might
and main. Meantime the men on the
ships which were supposed Co be at
tackled were scanning the waters for
the little boat, but she was nowhere
to be seen. They could not account
for it, and began to think that some
thing was the matter, but then again
they thought Lieutenant Nelson was
arranging to make a rear attack. Sud
denly the PoTpoise was seen TO come
to the surface near the lightship and
head for the harbor entrance. They
then realized that something had hap
pened, and started after the boat, but
could render no assistance.
The Porpoise continued to her wharf
at the station, where she was tied up
and the crew emerged from her with
sigh of relief, their faces telling that
they had undergone a great mental
strain. There was no way of render
ing assistance to the crew. 1t was
| learned that the probable cause of the
| trouble was that the sea cocks of the
vessel were choked up. She has not
been hauled out for cleaning for near
| ly year, while in boats of this class
should be done at regular and frequent
intervals, not less than six months at
| the most. The matter has been re-
ported to the Department at Washing
| ton and it is likely that an investiga-
| tion will be made. The commanding
officer at the torpedo station says that
/ the officers and men in the boat de-
| serve honorable N sntion for the nerve
and courage they displayed. They
were practically facing death. Not
withstanding this, they kept at their
work, not losing their presence OF
mind, and finally freed themselves
from what looked like a watery grave
shut up in the submarine 120 feet
/ below the surface.