South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-27
Hope That Men Aboard u. S.
Ship at Bottom of Honolulu
HarbOr May Be Alive Now
Abandoned by Officers.
BIG DREDGER ARRIVES
To AID THE SEARCHERS
Derrick and Crane Is Also
Called in Commission AL
though Hope of Raising Ship
Has Nearly Vanished.

HONOLULU. March -7.-AIen and
women gathered upon the shore or
Honolulu hartor during the night ana
prayed that the lives of the officers
and sailors i'm the submarine IA
might be spared They maintained
their vigil during the hours OF dark
ness as The flashing sweep OF naval
searchlights i'm the harhor gave notice
that everything within The power OF
man was being dome to bring the
submarine 90 The .urtft. and save her
crew.
Among naval o.t ..-- -aor- an hope
that the men Within fh Vessel might
nave survived W.s a...f .faau-.i shortly
after O'Clock l.~t nt-t acn the
FL had been beneath Ilr surface OF
the water FOR 56 houl-
only a miracle c.u ...c these
men, said one officer -It uaS pos
sihle that they might ht.e survived
II the submarine had hDcr drawn to
the surface in - hours. het il is be
yond all possibility that Ih,y should
have survived after being down ss
hours"
Despite the abandonment or hope.
there was no abandonment of effort
Little by little the naval tug Navaio
and the steamer Mallaah edged to-
wards shore dragging with them ihc
had been attached as soon as thc hoat
was definitely located
Calls Tor Drrritk
Finding 1T impossible tO pull tnc
submarine 90 the surface. thc Navajo
flashed a call 10 the PaH h1rbnr
naval station for derrick and crane.
This was sent az full speed hN the sta-
TONS commandaut
In the meantime The Naaufo and
Makaala dragged the F-l toward
shalolwer water. This was necessarily
slow work as the sea bottom where
the submarine sank is rocky and exc
treme precautions had 90 bc taken fo
keep the little boat frefn emashiue
against these and crushing fsf r.irer
sides.
The dredger California arrived
early today i'm tow of the steamer
Claudine from Pearl harbor station.
The massive chains of the dredger .
were dropped into The water about
the submarine and divers were sent
down 10 try TO loop them under the
F-4
Admiral Moore commandant at
Honolulu sent cablegram 20 The
navy department yesterday saving
Submarine F-4 has not vet been
located. No signal has been heard
Still searching"
Up TO the present time this country
has had no accident other than ~ ihe :
F-4 in the loss OF a Submarine and .
the death OF the crew
The vessel was commanded hx
Lieut.. Alfred /. Eide. Who was M
charge Of crew OF % men
Ia the absence OF facts there IS "a.
variety of theories as 90 the cause %
the disaster. the main being that
there must have been an Internal eN-
plOSl0n
Will Give out News
Admiral Victor Blue. acting seere-
tary OF the navy. said Frida.y night
that he would make every effort 10
get the first definite news 10 the pub
lie lie VIII have the navigation bu-
reau wires open for that purpose
Admiral Blue had prepared Friday
a list OF the enlisted men of the navy
ON board the submarine according ~
the latest Information TO the depart
ment
Admiral Blue also has made a list
Of accidents 90 submarines OF all ma
uons from March IS 1904 90 the pres
ent date.
Some OF the causes OF these accil
dents were. leaving the ventilator
open gas engine explosion. wash of
passing steamer causing waves 10 cn.
ter hatch running fun speed and
maxi ng sudden dive, leaking of Von-
ming tower tube, development OF seIi
Gus leaks after submerged gasoline.
explosions, etc.
Admiral Blue said that there was
nothing extraordinary an the work
which the American submarine was
doing She could easily have con,
200 feet but had rot reached THAT
depth apparently She was In FIRST
class condition when sne went out for
practice.
Special details OF the construction
OF the F-4 were given out FRIDAY ~
Admiral Blue including comment 90
the probable fate OF the crew as fos-
lows.
"F-4 is the fourth vessel or the rs
class. four IL all. which were com-
pleted m 1912 and 1913 The IA
went into commission Nav 3 1sff
FL and F-2 were built at san Frau-
cisco and F-3 and F-4 az Seattle ist
they are all Identical In construction
Can Submcrgc 800 Feet.
These submarines are designed 80
stand submerge OF about 500 fccf
and during their acceptance trials
were actually submerged 20 "a deglth
of 200 feet for period Of ] % miButesf
THE records OF the deparlmflk.
show that during tho fall OF tg12 ihs-
FL operated AT a depth of 2Sa fect
for about 10 minutes ofl thf coasi 30
California.
The F-f IS hted with . aetach
able marker buoy Lor indicating her
position in case OF accident. This is
fitted outside the boat hgt can hc rt-
leased from witain the rise 20 me
surface, unreellng a wire as IL goes