Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-10
SAYS WARSHIP ANALOGOUS WAS
SAVED; IS NCOMMISsION

That the great British warship Au-
dacious is back In commission Is the
| declafasiOn OF the New York Herald
of February l3. The Herald tells the
Audacious story an follows,
The Audacious. one OF Great Brit
aims finest and most powerful battle
ships of the superdreadnought class,
win rejoin the Grand Fleet next sweek.
She VIII leave the shipyards Of Har-
land & Wolff, Belfast, on Monday
without a flaw in her hull or arma-
rent. Such was the information con-
tanned In adyices received yesterday
in New York by the Herald.
The mighty first line war vessel or
the Royal Navy did not rise like Venus
from the sea, as might be supposed
from the reiterated reports Of her de-
structicn off the North Irish coast on
October 81. last. .-..s =.
In the light of the news received
here yesterday, the Audacious, al
though badly crippled either by a
German torpedo or mine, was not
sunk. With her wounded hull bound
In collision mats and the gaping hole
below the water line adequately plug
ged, she remained afloat and was safe
ly guided into drydock several hours
in the wake of the Olympic of the
White Star line, which put about In
response to- the battle ships radio
signal of distress. 49,. 4
In conformity with the policy pur-
sued by the British authorities re-
garding the disaster, however, no In
formation relating to the recommis-.
sioning of the Audacious will be pub
Iished In the United Kingdom. That
official silence which has been rigor.
ously observed by the Admiralty since
the news of the disaster first became
nolsed abroad will be maintained, and
the British public will learn OF the
dreadnoaght's temperance in the
fleet only in the event of her parti-l
cipating in an engagement or after
the war is ended.
When the Audacious appeared to be
laundering following the explosion
which rent her keel swift inventory
Of the damage wrought was made by
the engineers on board and also by
experts from other naval craft which
soon were alongside. At first 1t was
believed that the great fighting ship
was doomed.
Saved by Collision Mats.
Almost before the echoes of the
tremendous explosion had died away
the collision mats were overheard and
dashed over the hole left by the ex-
plosive. Meanwhile sandbags were
piled into the ragged aperture from
within, and, with the elaborate system
Of bulkheads, the tremendous inflow
OF water was practically shut off.
BY this time, Of course, the great
vessel had shipped an enormous guam
tity of water through her torn bottom
and was very low in the sea. It was
in this condition that the photographs
were made that depicted her in what
was believed to be q sinking condi-
tion.
II at first was decided to tow the
wounded battle ship into the Baird
shipbuilding yards at Birkenhead, al
suburb of Liverpool on the other side
of the Mersey. From Lough Swilly.
on the Irish coast, where the disaster
occurred, TO Birkenhead, however, Isl
a run Of 100 miles.
The crippled condition Of the Audac.
ious, upon later consid Iteration, was be-
lieved to be too serious to permit OF
such run, especially rs at that time
the British government was said to bel
investigating reports that the Germans
were operating from cleverly con-
cealed submarine base In the Shetland
Islands, of the northern coast of Scot
land.
1t was accordingly decided to, tow
the vessel into Belfast, 140 miles
nearer, being about so miles from the
mouth Of Tough Swilly. This relieved
the cruiser squadron which escorted
the Audacious from encountering fur.
ther hazards from hostile submarines
1t is believed that of her crew of
1000 men. few were killed or injured
by the explosion on board the Audac-
ious. Those. who were not taken froml
the vessel by the boats of the cruiser
Liverpool and smaller British war
craft which stood in close to the
after she showed signs of
distress, we're taken offsin the Olym.t
pics boats and those of the battle
ship. herself
A sufficient number of the battle
ships company. however. was left on
board to keep fast the water resisting
collision mats and sand bags. Experts
from the ship-yards we're hurried on
board and had already taken steps roI
remedy the injury before the vessel
was Graded on the blocks Of the dry
dock.
Work Night and Day
Repairing Damage.
The coursR from the scene of thel
disaster to Belfast was shaped some.
what slowly, as the towing of such a
ship was matter of con.
siderable difficulty even were she not
so badly crippled. Great care had toI
be observed at all times to guard |
against the possibility of the immensel
vessel turning turtle, which would
not only end her own career, but sell