The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-26
New. York Evening Post)

(NeW OK Evening fOSlJ
There has been a great loss of life
navies of the world in the last eight
years, the number reaching nearly
200. Not all of the disasters have
been caused by collisions with 9TH
er vessels of the fleet, such as happen
ed to the British submarine A3 off
the coast of the Isle Of Wight last
week or with merchant vessels, but
a number have been due to explosions
in the under water vessels. Great
nate in submarine boat accidents,
eight having occurred in as many years
with the loss of life placed at 60.
Lives were sacrificed in all of these
accidents except two. Most of the
British disasters have been primarily
due to gasoline explosions. France
closely follows Great Britain in the
number Of men killed in submarine
disasters, the total for that country be-
ing 81; Russia is next with "A. follow
ed by Japan with IS, Italy with S and
Germany with 3.
The parent ship of the British sub
marine fleet. the Hazard, which was
in collision with the A3 last week, had
an experience nee before in a subma-
rine accident. though through no fault
Of its own. This was back in 1905 and
it was the first grave accident on ac-
count Of an explosion of gasoline
fumes. 1t was on AS of the British
navy. The little boat had been taxi
ing gasoline aboard. slowing it in the
tanks, from the Hazard. preliminary
to a special run. Nearly two hours
after the work Of filing the tanks was
done and while the crew vas clearing
the submarine up for the trip. a vio-
lent explosion took place within the
boat. The explosion led to the death
Of six men. Because of the strong
smell Of petrol still in the boat. some
of the men though THE easiest way
to clear her out was to start the en-
gines and thus create a strong draft.
To start the engines the electric mo-
tor vas set in motion and the spark
ing brushes of the latter ignited the
dangerous mixture of air and gaso-
line fumes. At that time the subma-
rine had about seven tons of gasoline
in her fuel tanks and the vessel was
practically on fire inside. Yet thirty
men of the Hazards crew promptly
minent peril of death. and by their
heroic promptness. brought out of the
submarine the men still in her and
unable to help themselves.
British submarines belonging to the
a class have been singularly unfortu-
nate. The first accident to a vessel of
that class was on March Is. 1904 when
the steamship Berwick Castle sank
submarine AL off the Isle of Wight.
One officer and eleven men were lost
in that collision. Then came the AS
disaster in Queenstown harbor in Feb
ruary, 1905. in which six men were
killed and twelve injured: four
months later fifteen lives were lost in
the submarine AS off Plymouth after
a gasoline explosion. The vessel was
sunk OF the breakwater at that place.
All the men were supposed to have
been at once drowned, but subsequent
~ succeeded in signalling that they
were alive. The afternoon of the ac-
cident a heavy explosion occurred over
the position where the boat sank. The
disaster happened while the AS was
proceeding to sea for practice, accom-.
panied by another submarine and a
torpedo boat. In November. 1905, the
third accident to a submarine of that
country took place when the Al sank