Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-26
5F-4 Fails to Reappear At
ter Deep-Sea Cruise In
Honolulu Harbor.
SLIGHT HOPE HELD
FOR SAFETY OF MEN
selievsd 70 Have Gone Down in 100
Fathoms Of Water - Would Have
Been Crushed by Enormous Pressure
at That pspth-oiI Appears on Sur
face, Indicating Vessel May Have
Collapsed.

in the bottom Of Honolulu harbOr
under at least thirty-ave fathoms
of water - probably more = the
United States submarine F-4, lies
helpless. with her commander and
at least eighteen men, in which Is
believed to be one Of the worst
submarine disasters In history.
Efforts Of twenty-four hours to
locate the vessel or get message
from her crew have failed. Her
z marker buoy has failed to appear.
The surface Of the waters at thirty
fathoms is covered with oil OF the
boats boilers. One of two calam-
tiles are feared - that the F-4
struck q rock and that the crew
was drowned by the infiowing
waters, or that there was an ex-
plosion.
First Disaster in U. s. Navy.
While hope for rescue Of the men
is not given up, it is feared they
have been lost in the first subma-
rine disaster OF the United States
navy.
On the face of the first meager
reports. which said the F-4 disap-
peared at 9:15 yesterday morning,
while making dives during maneu-
svers. naval officers fear the boat
may have slipped over q ledge on
tifx volcanic fVck bottom Of the
D lsaf66f into sumo deep pocket out
or reach Of help.
The diving record OF a man Is
of a submarine, made by United
States boat, the FL, is 283 feet.
24O feet-ti,e worlds diving record
II the F-4 by accident, or other
wise, has gone deeper, it his feared
the pressure of the waters had
crushed her shell.
washington, March 26.-H the sub
marine F-4 is sunk in 120 fathoms OF
feet-as Honolulu dis
patches report, naval officers have nc
hope whatever that any Of her crew
pf twenty-five is alive. At such 9
depth they say submarine would be
crushed and full Of water.
Early today the navy department
this dispatch from Command
er smith, commanding the submarine
fleet of Honolulu.
"F-4 left tender at 9 a. m, for sub.
merged run. March 25. Failed to re.
turn to surface. Entrance Of harbol
is thirty fathoms Of water covered with
fuel oil. Diving and dragging"
The FLA was fitted with the --latest
air locks in her coming
tower, enabling her men to escape and
rise to the surface in as much as thirty
fathorns Of water. The fact that none
has appeared leads to the belief tha1
the boat lies much deeper.
Oil Creates Alarm.
Commander Smiths mention of thu
entrance Of the harbor being covered
with oil created grave alarm at tn.
- Sece rtmant. It was feared thu
F,-4 had struck a rock, altho it was
pointed out that Lieutenant Eide nigh
might have blown out the oil to lighter
the burden. But the alarm was in.
creased, by the omission in Commander
Smiths report Of any reference Of an,
signal from the sunken craft. Shs
was equipped with marker buoy. Al
no mention was made Of the appear
ance of the marker buoy officials con.
tluded It has not come to the sur.
face.
Information Lacking.
The usual diving radius Of a sub.
marine Is 160 and 200 feet. The world.
record for diving, made by the FL, 8
sister ship OF the F-4, in San francisco
bay two years ago, is 2S3 feet, a
which depth she remained for ter
s,,ip,,tos md cr1lised at a speed of sis
a. (. shat :.h::. depth the hull creaket
and groan finder the tremendous pres
sure and Lieut.. James B. Howell hel
reported that the water
seeped thru the seems.
Early today the navy department
#as without full information from
Rear Admiral Moore and merely hat
3ce brief dispatch saying the F-A hat
gone down, and the other from Com
mander Smith. The latter's dispatch
q thirty fathom depth gavt
hope the F-4 might not be more thar
$50 feet down, and her crew might b
rescued II the work were don,
Vssssis Search in Vain.
The three other submarines of tn,
r group stationed here. the naval tul
Navajo and, launches were securing
the ocean for miles about the harbol
entrance Thursday night in search o
the missing vessel. Naval Officials
said they were hopeful that no seri0ul
yni4hap had befallen the F-4 but the,
admitted that the circumstances o
the crafts prolonged disappearanc,
rave ri0o "a much opprehensfOn. -.