Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-26
SUBMARINE DISASTERS.
This Type of Craft Has Cost Many
Lives.

Ii
The development of the submarine
to its present efficiency as a fighting
machine has been, like the aeroplane.
at a great sacrifice of human life.
During the last nine years more than
200 lives have been lost in accidents
Collisions and explosions on board
and the thrash af water through open
ports have been the common causes
of these mishaps. and in almost all
cases these disasters have been
marked by heroism on the part of the
officers and men who figured in them.
The submarine boat first received the
attention of naval officials some 20
years ago As Mr.. Holland. the inveu-
tor of the Holland submarine boat
once remarked:
The submarine type of warcraft
presents the unique spectacle of n
weapon against which there is no de-
Tense You can send battleship
against a battleship. destroyer against
destroyer, but you can send nothing
against a submarine, not even another
OF its type. As you can not see under
water, il follows that You cannot fight
under water. Therefore, you can not
fight submarine with submarines"
The navies of France, Great Britain
and Russia have been the principal
sufferers in the number of lives lost
France has lost - officers and men
in four serious accidents, and Great
Britain, whose submarines have given
that country the most serious trouble
has lost as men. A year ago the Brit
ish submarines were equipped with
patent diving helmets, to allow the men
to reach the surface after sinking. This
apparatus consists of a thin copper
helmet and a waterproof jacket, the
latter containing Il pocket" which is
fitted with chemical device for puri-
flying the mans breath so that he can
live and breathe freely for a considera-
BILE time under water. Each submarine
Is fitted with airlocks where a certain
quantity of air is imprisoned when the
boat sinks. Here the men can live for
Il period long enough to allow them to
dress, then lift the hatch and climb
out, allowing the natural buoyancy of
the costume to carry them to the sur
face. where they are kept afioat until
rescued.
One of the most extraordinary rec
ords of lingering death came into
the possession of the Japanese Navy
Department after the raising of sub
marine No. g. which sank with all hands
on hoard in Hiroshima Bay en- April
-, 1910. The manuscript was written
by Lieutenant Sakuma while he and
his men were waiting DEATH 1t opens
with an entry made after The total
immersion at 10 A. NJ, in which the
lieutenant apologies to his Emperor,
and erds two hours and forty minutes
later. The document, az published by
the Navy Department. reads:
Words of apology fail me for hav-
ing sunk his majesty submarine No. 6.
NV subordinates are killed by my fault,
hut it is with pride that | inform you
that the crew To y man have dis
charged their duties as sailors should
with the utmost GOODNESS until their
dying moments. We now sacrifice our
lives for the sake of our country, but
my fear is that the disaster will affect
Ire future development of submarines.
we endeavored to stop the thrush
OF water with our hands, but too late;
the water entered at the rear and the
boat sank at an incline of Is degrees.
We have worked hard to pump out the
water but the boat is still in the same
position. 1t is now IL o'clock. The
depth of the water here is about ten
fathoms.''
Alter paying his respects to relatives
and friends the lieutenant expressed
the wish that the Emperor would sup
ply the means of living To the poor
families Of the crew, and then comes
the end of his message:
1T is now 1880 p. NJ. My breathing
is so difficult and painful. thought
could blow out gasoline, but ! am in
toxicated with it," Captain Nakano
= t 1t is now 12.40 p. NJ
Another exhibition of heroism and
GOODNESS under water was shown by
Lieutenant Robillot, commander of the
1907, the French fleets of submarine
and Warships were engaged in maneu-
vers. The Souffieur at a depth of
twenty-five feet, lurked in the, passage
of the battleship Jauregeberry with her
torpedo tubes ready for action. Sud-
denly a great black shape blotted the
water in front. 1t was the submarine
Boni.e, travelling straight toward the
tsoullleuf. lieutenant 1tODlIlOt IedilLtu
the danger in a flash, and shouted an
order to sink further down, hoping TO
allow the Bonite to pass overhead. But
his order came too late for the Bonlte
crashed into the Soufiieur and then
scraped along the top, destroying the
coming tower Fortunately, the in
ner matches were closed, or the Souf-
fieur would have sunk like stone.
Several men were overcome by the
poisonous fumes which filled the boat,
but Lieutenant Robillot stood firm at
his post. After several monutes he
gave the order to let go the weight,
the descent stopped, and the bout
arose to the surface, where thesmen
were revived by the fresh air.
Quite n few accidents have occurred
to the American submarines. hut moth
ing like the disasters which have be-
fallen the French and British navies.
The principal submarine disasters since
1903 have been as follows:
1903.
Gasoline explosion in AL tBritishl.
Seven men injured.