The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-24
CNew York Evening Post.)

(New York Evening Post) There has been a great loss of life in submarine accidents in the various na- v1es of the world in the last eight years, the number reaching nearly 200 Not all Of the disasters have been caused by collisions with other vessels of the fleet, such as happened to the of the Isle of Wight last week, or with merchant vessels, but a mum Der have been due to explosions in the underwater vessels. Great Britain submarine boat accidents, eight hav- ing occurred in as many years, with the loss of life p aced at sixty Lives were sacrificed in all of these acci- ish disasters have been primarily due to gasolene explosions. France c'ose- ly fol ows Great Britain in the mum Der of men killed in submarine 'sas- ters, the total for that country being 57; Russia is next with A, followed by Japan with 15, Italy with 8, and Germany with 8.
 The parent ship of the British sub marine fleet, the Hazard, which was in collision with the A last week, had an experience once before in submarine accident. though through no fault of its own. This was back cident on account of an explosion of gasolene fumes. It was on A of the British navy. The little boat had been taking gaSo1ene aboard, slowing preliminary to special run. Near y two hours after the work of filling the tanks was done, and while the crew was clearing the submarine up for the trip. a violent 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 thought the easiest way to clear her out was to start the engines and thus create a strong drausht. To start the en- zines the electric motor was set in motion, and the sparkling brushes of tho latter ignited the dangerous mix ture of air and gasolene fumes. At that time the submarine had about tanks, and the vessel was practically on fire inside. Yet thirty men of the Hazards crew promptly volunteered for rescue service, in imminent peril ness, brought out of the submarine the men still in her and unable to help themselves.
 The First Accident.
 British submarines belonging to the A class have been singularly unfor- tunate. The first accident to a ves- sel of that class was on March IS, 1904, when the steamship Berwick Cas- tie sank submarine A 1 off the Isle of Wight. One officer and eleven men
 
 the disaster in Queenstown har- Dor, in February, 1905, in which six men were killed and twelve injured; four months later fifteen lives were lost in the English submarine A 8 off Plymouth, after a gasolene explosion The vessel was sunk off the breakwa,- ter at that place. All the men were supposed to have been, NS once drown ed, but subsequently, succeeded in sig mailing that they were alive. The afternoon of the accident heavy ex- plosion occurred over the position happened while the A was proceed ing to sea for practice, accompanied by another submarine and a torpedo accident to a submarine of that coun- try took place, when the A sank during manoeuvres at Portsmouth. The crew was rescued. In June, i killed by an explosion of gasolene in the submarine c 8. Two years later | the c Il was sunk by the steamship l off Haisborough lightship | bers of the vessels crew went to the i bottom with her. A hotilIa of eight l was proceed ing in south ] cry direction when the .Eddys-on | ad with II. The submarine went | down immediately. The second acci- i dent to the A l occurred off Plymouth ! Tn Au@ust, 1911, when two officers and |
 
 an explosion of petrol.
 A Disaster In Russia.
 Shortly after the first British subrna- | rine accident, the Russian navy was | visited bv a disaster when the dive | boat Delf1n sank at her moorings in | the Neva, near St. Petersburg. This | accident cost the Russians twenty four lives Another accident to a | of that country took place n June. 1909, when the Kambala was sunk in the Black Sea during manoeu- vres- The submarine fotilla was con 1ucting a series of night attacks against a battleshfp squadron. Dur ng the operations the KambaIa un- lccountably left her course and swung across the bows of a battleship. The TWO vessels collided and the smaller boat sank immediately. Two officers and eighteen men of the crew per shed.
 he dive-boat Farfadet was sunk off 3izerta, Tunis and fourteen lives were sacrificed. A little more than a year ater the French Lutin sank near md sixteen men were lost. In May 91O, the English Channel steamboat | struck the French submarine Pluvtose .wo mics of the French coast. Tyven- .y-seven lives were lost in this acct- lent. Two weeks later the boat was ound and lowed ashore. The body If the helm sman was found at his post n the steering tower. The trap door eading from the tower to the c 1rr,- lartment below was closed. The leg Sook of the commander was recovered. | md it contained a complete record of l he submarines last plunge. The fn- Il entry was made at 1:56 o'clock on l he afternoon of the day the Pluviose vas struck
 A Salvage Plant.
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