New-York tribune., 1915-03-31
Apparatus at Honolulu
Unequal to Task of Lift
ing Sunken Boat.
TO USE PONTOONS
IN NEW ATTEMPTS
Naval Experts Regard United
States Submarines as Safest
in the World.
tFron III. Tribune Bur..ul

Washington. March 30.-All efforts
10 raise the sunken submarine "a with
the apparatus at hand az Honolulu
have proved unayailing, according to 4
report received from Rear Admiral
Moore this evening. Arrangements arc
being made to try 70 lift the vessel
with the aid of pontoons. The slight
ray OF hope held by naval officers that
some OF the crew might yet be alive
was dissipated tonight by tho receipt
Of Rear Admiral Moore's dispatch, in
which the opinion was given that the
submarine was watcrlogged.
The dispatch, which contained the
report of Lieutenant G. +. Smith, com
manding the first submarine division
Of the Pacific torpedo aotilla, was as
follows:
Have located the "a and moved her
slight distance inshore. Lifting hawser
parted. Submarine evidently water
logged. Equipment too light to raise
her. Making arrangements 70 lift her
by pontoon method. Still have line on
submarine and can hold on 10 her To-
cation. Depth, forty-fve fathoms"
The impression is gaining ground in
the Navy Department that the acci-
dent to the F-4 was collision with a
reef or wreck, by which the ship was
hit just forward Of her middle on the
under side. The presence Of oil on the
surface OF the sea would indicate this,
for the oil tanks of the "a were set
just forward Of the engine space and
on the under side of her hull.
Naval authorities are united in the
belief that from the wreck Of the "A
\ of Ina g.. Joo ,f
submarines will be disclosed
In the opinion Of experts the sub
marines Of the United States Navy.
from the &c" class to the most recent
authorized undersea vessels. including
the giant Schley, are the safest Of any
in the world. No other nation makes
obligatory so severe a test of the ten
sie .trength Of structural parts and
the Skin" of the ships as does the
United States.
The regulation of tests was fixed
when the submarines of the &C" class
were designed. The specifications for
these vessels required submersion Of
200 feet in the trials. The vessels are
designed to withstand the pressure Of
the water at depth Of 800 feet, or
fifty fathoms, but no deeper plunge is
considered necessary than the 200-foot
obligatory test.
When the Navy Department set this
standard, nearly ten years ago. there
was a protest from the builders OF sub
marines. who insisted that no other
naval power demanded such a test.
They pointed out that submarines of
the United States Navy, under the reg
ulations. were restricted 70 a dive of a
maximum of 100 feet in all maneuvres,
and insisted that this should suffice.
The Navy De- artment was obdurate,
and the 200-foot test established in
1906 has stood ever since.
Naval constructors believe the
strength of the submarines Of the
American navy is sufficient. and since
establishing the 200-foOt test they have
never changed their opinion. The loss
Of the F-4 does not modify their views.
Honolulu, March 30.-Work on a
diving tube with which Il is hoped 10
definitely locate the submarine F4, lost
with its crew Of twenty-one men out
side the harbor here since last Thurs
day, progressed so rapidly to-day that
il was believed it might be ready fCr
use early tomorrow.
Drag lines OF the naval tug Navajo
are fast TO an object believed TO De the
submarine. With the aid of the diving
tube. it will be determined, officers say,
whether the Navajo's find really 8 the
F-1