New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-20
DEATH IN THE SUBMARINE BOAT.

The first fatal accident resulting from the use
OF a new implement OF warfare has gone on
vcc0rd. The event occurred In time Of peace
I'd during experimental manGuvres so that
, IL loss OF life IN consequence is parallel to
that which might be caused by the bursting OF
q gun a bGtteship during target practice.
British submarine torpedo boat while sub
merged only few feet and lying IN wait for a
theoretical enemy, was hit by a passing mer-
chant vessel and SO disabled that her officers
and crew. eleven In number, were unable
promptly TO escape. Though the precise truth
may ne er be known, It seems probable that
death resulted from the fumes Of gasolene,
spilled by the shock Of collision. This would
certainly be q quicker consummation than dying
from q slow exhaustion OF the air supply.
Whether the failure Of the submarine TO get
out Of the liners path was due TO the imper-
lection OF her periscope, which may not have
given a view OF the whole horizon, or 70 a lack
Of vigilance on the part OF the officer in charge,
Is another doubtful point However II he had
his wits about him Immediately after the boat
was nit. and nothing else interfered 10 prevent
he should have been able 10 bring the boat 70
the surface 10 a few minutes, BY starting
the electric motor which drove the pumps. he
could quickly expel enough water-one would
thinlz-to impart the necessary buoyaucy To the
craft Inasmuch as there had been trouble be-
fore with this part OF tie boats equipment
perhaps IT would not have acted promptly in
the emergency. Again. even had the pumps
worked satisfactorily, & IS TO be feared That
the submarine would not have been right side
up or in anything Ike a horizontal position
on getting 10 the surface. The hatch through
which the men could emerge would hardly he
opened until this part 81 the boat WINS out OF
water. It seems probable that her trim was
50 badly spoiled 10y the blow she received that
escape would have been difficult. y not i'm
possible still another possible effect OF tho
impact especially Il directed nearly az right
angles would be 10 sink the submarine almost
instantly. The shells Of such craft are exceed
lngly thin II a big hole were stove IN. water
would pour in and carry the damaged vessel
quickly n the bottom. Drowning. not suffoca-
ton, would then cause death
From the momenary panic which this IN
happy event viii create among officers and men
IN the nav.es Of the world there Will soon be a
reaction. II must be remembered that scores,
II not hundreds. Of trial trips have already been
made by submarines without any serious mis-
hap while they were submerged. Looked at
merely from the statistical point Of view, there
fore the chances Of a repetition Of this unfort-
unate episode are exceedingly small. They viii
be- rendered still smaller by the precautions
which the accident viii suggest. Great Brit
ain, Ike some other powers, maintains secrecy
about the details Of her latest model II IS con-
ceivable. Of course, that further improvements
in design are possible. Perhaps better instr1-
ments for making observations when boat IS
submerged may he needed Maybe a com
pressed air chamber and trap door IN the bot
tom VIII be regarded essential II is hard ia
avoid the suspicion, though. that the chief
cause Of Fridays accident of Portsmouth was
a defect OF management rather than one Of the
submarine system. The latter viii certainly
nor be abandoned because II anything that
has yet happened.