The Detroit times., 1912-09-21
MEN GRAVE DEATH 2O3
FEET BELOW SURFACE TO
q SET SUBMARINE RECORD
Sailors Make Thrilling Dive. Es-
tablishing New Worlds
Mark for Craft
TWENTY-FoUR IN CREW
One Member Tells Stirring Story
Of Remarkable. Feat in San
Francisco Bay
TwENTY-FoUR IN CREW

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2O.-
Twentysfour of Uncle Sans sailors
laughed defiance at death recently
when for six hours they descended be-
meath the waters OF San Francisco
bay TO depth never before attained
by human beings who survived TO tell
the tale.
The diving record formerly held
~ the submarine Seal. and attained
on Nantucket Light last May, when
the craft went down 256 feet, was
shattered when the submarine FL,
manned by Lieut.. James b. Howell
and crew Of % men, drove down TO
4 depth Of 2S3 feet
Inc l25 pounds OF pressure OF each
I square inch OF hull caused the water
I 70 squirt into the interior of the shell
through different joints In tiny
streams, while the sides Of the hull
were squeezed together until the deck
I was forced upwards In q decided
curve.
The story OF the feat was told by
one OF the crew describing the sub
marine cruise:
Day after day Lieut. Howell and
! ne Is regular men OF the crew have
j aDeeded over and under the water OF
I H8n Francisco bay while giving the
craft the seyerest tests possible.
Nssrhs day OF the record dive we
headed toward the sea and descend
"a until only the two slender perl
) 1copes were above the water. The
little mirror reflectors threw into the
interior an exact photograph or the
vast expanse Of bay, 90 IL was sim
A. ~ nd
ayoid collision.
when we neared the ferry faipway
there were three commutgfiaden
ateamers directly ahead OF US. A sin
Rie word or two from our commander
and the FL, detected by the horizon
tal planes and propelled by the cleo
tic engines, shot toward the bay bot
t0m until so feet interviewed between
our coming tower and the surface oi
the bay.
~As we passed beneath the ferry
steamers, the vibration Of the surface
boats propellers could be distinctly
heard by. the man at the submarine
telephone.
NAs our commander gave the order
which would again take mp to the un'
lhown depths below, even the rawest
fttruit could notice that something
vas about to happen out Of the ordi'
.fwhen the pressure gauge showed
~ depth OF 200 feet Lieut. Howell
showed no sign Of stopping our down
rard progress. II there Is anything
it1At wins the respect OF an officers
ttmmand 1t is an exhibition like that
al Dur commander at that time.
NASlowly. but surely. the hand OF the
gauge indicated an increasing depth.
We had reached a depth Of $50 feet
when number OF snappy reports not
unlike the explosion OF small pistols
was heard The tremendous pressure
or the water began to effect even the
stanch construction of the FL.
'At the same time II was noticed
that the water was beginning to leak
into the craft at some OF the joints.
This was first noticed at the comb
Ing OF the torpedo hatch.
"Every regular man breathing the
bottled atmosphere OF the stining IN
terror knew what this meant. So did
the commander, for after We had gone
down another three feet. We went
forward on the level, each eye in the
meantime looking anxiously and nerv-
ously toward the little rivulets OF
water which streamed IN.
f'That We had reached the limit OF
The depth test became apparent Just
then when slowly and almost imper-
ceptibly the deck upon which we
stood began, to curve upward slowly,
fofming an arch in the center. This
Was caused by the pressure OF the
eea against the Sides Of the boat.
UrThen after ten minutes OF sus-
bbnse We began TO forge rapidly to-
yard the surface until we had but 60
feet separating us from the surface
and freedom
ssh HrmtinE Done Night Times