The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04
United States submarine
torpedo boat Diver had come

!" NV SUI ioNo W pioW out, 10
recharge her storage battery
and to restore her supply Of cons
pressed air to It's working pressure
of 1000 pounds to the square inch.
The mist two were accomplished. but.
there being something wrong with the
cir compressor motor. tho last was
delayed while Q machinist and two
electricians swore over tor under Il.
Tor was At arms length overh read
ana the boat, In the awash or div
ing condition, ran along under her
gasoas0e engine.
BFeen. temporary commander.
eaised MS ooyish race up through the
connne tower match. the hinged lid
Of which was held upright by a strong
0prane. ana looked around At the night.
n waD pitch dark and starless. but.
over to the east. the upper limb ~ a
full moon was Just appearing above
the horizon. The hinged lid Of the
%kch prevented view astern; the
IAGans exhaust drowned the lesser
NNnds OF the sea.
4 curious. rushing sound mingled
with the punins Of tho exhaust, a
voice high above and aStern sang out,
Something under the bow, SIR" and
huge bulk Of blacker darkness struck
The small. semi-submerged craft .
GAnong blow from astern. aeeled II
. httSe and bore 1t under. Breen
w. washed downward by the thrush
q water. but held grip on the con-
ming tower ladder and found voice to
call out: stop the engine. Shut
on the gas!'
Then, against that almost solid coll
umn OF descending salt water, he
fousht mis- way upward until, face
sbove the hatch again. but looking
now into the blackness OF the deep
So ne seized the hand hold Of the
hetdh lid and pulled 1t down. 1t closed
with force that would have shivered
anything but armor steel and Breen.
haf drowned fell to the floor of the
handling room. AS he raised himself
lie could near faintly. through the steel
wallis from the void without. the les
SEEMING puisations OF a steamers screw.
fun DOWN. he gasped. choking
tho wafer from his lungs and support
ing hnnseir by the ladder, for the boat
WAS rolling twenty degrees. Any
thlng carried away"
Seems not, Lieutenant" answer d
the csnet electrician-"nothing but the
auniiary motor. I've burned 1t out
had my hand on the switch when the
ya' came But We're sinking. sir"
we've taken In more than the re-
selEe euoyancy. surely, said Breen.
lookinS al the depth indicator. which
Sresoy marked forty FEET. The hand
moved. as he looked. to nifty, sixty
and more.
BLOW out every tank. he ordered
The ballast and trimming tanks
We're emptNd and tbs scant store Of
compressed air WAS further lesscned
thereby; but. though the indicator
haho moved more SLOWLY. 1t moved As
steadily and as surely. The boat was
Sill SINKING
"tar' INC motor ana connect up
mo pumps SAID breeh. What am
u''hhihs aoout-Was'ing ume ana
over tahfSs with all TINS water
@9nt. aoo"
.,on, 49, - 81 "a d iii"chIi's'
tn D,', y. '"e "" nv
csr,. -, -, .i' '.''o's" ~,
,In.a !, .na an ~
~, 600. '"' nos ''''''
praon ,oo,-.1 o,,, ,,,.,,,,,. .,,-,.,,,,.
,,L -, 80 IN, '.ie ~
hartman, nou, h.lj ,to 49,, 49,, -,
and the lower mic 80 ,,,. .r,,,s,,,ra
WA Immersed A sunL.n s,,hr,ar,r.,
with main motor shor, ,,,rcui,ed h,.
wa-..r and auxiI,arv r,o,or h,,,ra.,
ont. without means 10 n,,n,r "a ,nn,..
or TO compress AIR for newer 10 in a
serious plight. But Breen's face
cleared in a moment
MAN the hand pump." he said
"My God" ha added. In a seml-whls-
De- as he glanced at the Indicator.
l. marked 100.
A. many men a. could find room
FOR their hands on he pump bake
III, forth their strength. bu. could
force very little water out against
the pressure Of the sea. They looked
AZ Breen. doubt and anxiety showing
in their faces.
"Out with the torpedoes." he said
bravely and cheerfully. We had a
reserve buoyancy of three hundred.
and we're carrying several thousand
pounds OF steel and g,ncotton that
We won't need right away. Dlscon-
rect the levers and unscrew the
det.natur."
Whitehead torpe,.ocs- mechanical
fsh--are merely aimed and started ~
III. craf, thar CARRIES ,b.m Tbev
propel themselves by their own motive