Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-27
STORM IN
| SUBMARINE BOAT
lieutenant John P. Jackson, of
This City, Gives Graphic
Account of Battle.

~ AN' - ohphhdRAnt lTtStOu uuTiuS
DC wonderful run of the submarine
I1eet in a terrific storm in journeying
Pom Hamptoa Roads TO Guantanamo.
uba. is a native of Newark, son of the
z1a.e John T.. Jackson and nephew of
81 chuyler b. Jackson.
Lieutenant Jackson WAS educated Mt
Die Newark Academy and was admitted
10 Annapolis nine years ago. He served
u the Navy In the wal with Spain. His
pronotion has been rapid and he was as
blgned TO the command of the subma
zine Preston.
In a letter, which Rear-Admiral Rich
ard Wainwright p%ronounces a straight
forward seamanlike account of a great
Norm, Lieutenant jackson narrates the
Incidents of his battle in a submarine
with the raging tempest. Lieutenant
jackson says in part.
III Tossed by Turbulent Sea.
I'VE left Hampton Roads at s a. IN. on
#Thursday, January 4, In company with
the battleships Minnesota, Ohio. and
Idaho. the repair-ship Panther, and the
destroyer Ammen. The first day and
hight out the weather was moderate.
III rtday Il began to blow and the sea
came up. From then on the win kept
INCREASING In violence and the sea be.
rame gigantic, until it was almost a hur-
1rdcane.
I'VE were having a war game, so at
night we steamed with all lights out
Friday night, the gale had become vic
z{}ent and the sea very heavy. 1t was
black as ink and as thick as pea-soup.
I'VE could not see two hundred yards.
6be destroyers were cruising 5000 yards
nbeam of the ba~ttleships. The Ammen
Received q signal to close in, which we
did not get.
Il my compasses were out. as We had
bad no sun or opportunity to correct
Them; so when 1t frightened up a bit,
there WAS nothing In sight.
by that time wind and sea had become
ltreacherous. When we were in the
through OF the sea, looking aft from the
1Brldge, each wave as 1t swept down on
his, lowered high above our mainmast,
And 1t seemed as IL 1t could not help
i6s erwhelming the little ship. But these
are excellent little sea boats, and as each
wave approached. our stern would rise
Utmost perpendiculnrly up the side of the
Ntwaye, while the bow would be buried.
.when the crest was reached, the stern
would suddenly drop down the other side,
and the bow would go up.
.All the time we were rolling from
thirty to 45 degrees each side of the
Vertical. and the lee rail would go com
~pjetely under winter, the sea sweeping up
liver the deck. Everything not secured
5)down was hurled from side to side, and
not n thing could be kept on a table or
sash
,All we could do was to run before the
sale under easy steam. II we had
waved off broadside TO. we might have
avamped or captized and gone down. IL
Ayeou,rad constant watching and care to
,Lean ,hn hoa. from doing this.
early Friday morning we lost our life
boat. A, sea struck 1t and broke 1t in
two and the two parts had to be cut
away. Two of our other boats we're
syna shed md stove in. The carpenters
snd blacksmiths' chests, with all tools,
BROKE adrift and were swept overheard.
Also one hundred gallons of oil, which
were secured on deck. The after compass
was lifted out of its pinnacle and carried
overheard.
1.-THE worst thing that happened was
10 nllxe sea lDdI GuTlbu anu luHutu Auil
mpon our deck aft. The deck caved in
S~several inches and all the supporting
tstancbions buckled like tin. The
stanchions on the upper deck aft were
also twisted and broken, showing the
tremendous force of the sea. Luckily
The shin was as tight as a drum, and we
did not make water anywhere.
IT was in constant fear of having men
nrasbed overheard. With the tremendous
%roll and the sea sweeping over the deck.
zit was as much as n mans life was
fworth TO walk from one end of the ship
fto the other. and this had to be done,
- there Ia no connection between living
4 ma rtars and fire and engine rooms below
necks
SATURDAY morning | sighted the Panther
and steo mod with ber till 10 n m Then
roce;yed a wireless from the Minnesota.
nm y,ng she could SEQ the Panther on her
- .e..d a,or4or ard ordor,no ne To re-
soin nc soon ma practicable.
,.wa sneeded nm 10 ffteen knots and
80 = ,arrso q, ,n,oroont tbo Minnesota
". staa,noa farty,eyo niles yitbout s,oht.
H. bar and an toll,ng har On were in.
nrr,od tha, .ho mnst have taken a tramn
a..aw o.. 49, p.nthor c. uos olo,a
49, "a ,avan stnh+od onothor shin
-, -.
4 -, hsa ~, nd .,oht ~ tho sun simon
.an,na usrsntaa paass and 40 NV com.
saaaa - -. 49, aarroo,od q uos
- a,aa.,s n,oss ,cbora mn.
Ina,.y. - ast 80 mor,d,on .lt,tude
- 49, s.tsSaa - sound NV lat,t,de
~ rrse.I. sotr uma a,nh. -
10
~ p. M ana iocateo my ionsi.uue ap-