New-York tribune., 1912-02-03
DISASTER TO SUBMARINE;
A DIE LOCKED IN STEEL
British Vessel Sinks Like a
ST Stone on Being Rammed
by Depot Ship.
RENT CUT IN VESSELS SIDE
salvagers Search for Bodies.
but Suspend Operations as
Darkness Sets in-Mon-
archs Send Sympathy:

Portsmouth, Feb. 2.-The total loss
,,,s morning of the British submarine
2 with the whole Of her crew, after 4
,.oI6siou with the submarine depot snip
lizard adds another to the long list OF
,,niIar accidents which have in recent
oars thrown the British navy and ma
lion into mourning.
The submarine, which went out OF the
bsrbor this morning with fourteen men
aboard 10 carry out a series Of diving
and torpedo exercises, sank like stone
Immediately after the collision.
4 big escape Of gas observed on the
surface Immediately after she sank in
dicates that the vessel quickly filled with
water.
Torpedo practice had been n progress
for some time, and the submarine A d"
was partly submerged when the col
lission occurred.
The Hazard was steaming along at a
fairly high speed. and when she struck
the submarine her bows cut big rent IN
the little vessels side.
II was practically certain from the
first that tho fate of all on board tho
submarine was sealed. The Hazard,
however. threw out life buoys and
launched boats in case any of the men
should succeed in escaping, but none Of
them came 10 the surface.
Other assistance was Immediately
called by the Hazards wireless installd-
ton, but from the first moment of the
collision there was no hope of saving any
or the men on board the A ).
Under Admiralty regulations only the
bare official report of the sinking Of the
submarine is available. and it is not
known yet where the blame, If there be
blame for the accident lies. None OF
those who witnessed the disaster will be
permitted to speak Of it until after the
official inquiry.
The salvagers late this afternoon found
the sunken submarine lying on the sandy
bottom of Spithead, some forty feet
down. owing 10 the darkness, however
they suspended operations for the night
Tomorrow at dawn an attempt will be
made to raise the little vessel No bodies
have been recovered, indicating that all
were locked in the vessels hulk.
The crew Of eleven men on board the
: s. which is one of the older class
launched in 1903, was composed Of vol
unteers from the men Of the fleet as is
The case with the compliments Of all
submarines. The men, in spite of the
hazardous nature of the service. like the
work and volunteer in large numbers TO
re detailed TO the submarine fOtillas
Besides the regular creS Of ten men
ana lieutenant, the admiralty states
that three other licutenants were on the
\ q, going through course of inStruc-
ton. and were drowned when the sub
marine sank. making a total Of fourteen
uoaths.
Many submarines are stationed at
portsmouth, whence they constantly go
out for diving and torpedo practice in
he roads and number of fatal acci-
dents have occurred in the vicinity.
King George and Emperor William
this evening sent kilograms Of regret and
sympathy 10 the families Of the victims.
British submarines belonging to the "A''
class. all built in 1906. have been singu-
IaTly unfortunate. The had six men
killed and twelve injured by an exposion
at Queenstown on February 16, 1905. The
\ S sank of Plymouth on June S. 1906,
when fourteen men out Of her crew of
rghtoen lost their lives The sank
during the manGuvres at Portsmouth on
November Is Of the same year, the whole
Of her crew being rescued, though only
with considerable difficulty The \ l had
seven Of her crew badly injured by an ex-
plOsion on August 6, 1910.
The 4 is a Nickers built. single screw
submersible Of a modified Holland type,
with length OF 100 feet and a beam OF
10 feet. Its submerged displacement is 204
tons. Gasolene motors provide the driving
power when on the surface OF the water
and electric motors when submerged. The
surface speed is listed at eleven knots and
the submerged speed at seven knots The
motors develop 40 indicated horsepower on
the surface and 100 horsepower when sub
merged. The armament consists OF TWO
torpedo tubes.