The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-21
Three Remaining Submarines Of
Honolulu Flotilla viii Go
Out Of Commission
ADVERTISER HAD FIRST
NEWS OF "a EXPLOSION
Edison Batteries Now Being In
stalled Overcome Dangers
b.. "a, OF Chlorine Gas

Word by Associated Press from,
Washington yesterday afternoon that
the three Fclass submarines had been
ordered out Of commission by Secretary
of the Navy Daniels was not unexpect
ed by men Of the fotilla. For several
days a rumor that they wonld be placed
in reserve had stirred the men, and,
as one expressed IL, all chad been on
the anxious seat, y although they could
obtain no confirmation. The report
may have arisen in published despatch
es from Washington that withdrawal of
the three submarines from active ser.
vice was being considered by the navy
department. 7..i- ~
First news that the board of investi.
cation, headed by Admiral @. J. Boush,
would report to Washington that a
battery explosion was the direct cause
Of the accident to the Inflated F-4,
electricians having discovered that
fuses of the batteries had been blown
out, was published here by The Adver.
tiser, and it formed the basis for like
reports sent to the Associated Press
from Honolulu on Thursday night and
published in the mainland papers yes.
terday. .s a.E ~ -. 10. ..
Yesterday s action with reference to the
remaining F-class boats hardly can be
other than a result of the report made
by the former board of Investigation,
headed by Capt, Sumner Z. W. Kit.
telle Of the cruiser Maryland, and made
public here in full by The Advertiser
on Wednesday. s,...... ~
Two Serious Faults
Two serious faults were pointed out
in that report: one, that the storage
batteries of the TYPE submarines
evolved excessive quantities of hydro
gen while charging, and, also, during
the early stages Of discharging hydro.
gen was evolved; and, two, that sea
watcr seeping into the batteries through
the cover resulted in the evolution of
chlorine gas, Both these faults had
led to accidents on the .F-4, an ex.
plOsion of hydrogen having sent the
boat to Pearl Harbor, for repairs, and
evolution of chlorine gas having fol
lowed the seeping of water into the
batteries while the boat was. at the
dock. %. , ~, r..... E. .
These same faults, with others, are
inherent in boats of the F-type, the re.
port stated, and such report hardly
could have been received by the navy
department other than by ordering the
boats withdrawn until inspection could
be made. ....
Danger from chlorine gas would be
removed by introduction of the new
Edison batteries, but there is no in.
formation available as to whether it
would remove danger of the evolution
of hydrogen. Invention of the new
Edison type was announced by Mr..
Edison q short time after the loss of
the F4, when he brought it to the
attention of the navy department. He
had been working on it some time. 1t
is possible that the navy department
would install these new batteries in
the boats as one step toward making
the boats safe.
Yesterdays despatch said that the
FL, F2 and F-3 probably would DO
taken to Mare Island for this exam
nation. 1t is considered probable that
they will he given thorough repairs
here, to make them seawOrthy again,
their steering gear having been dis
abled by the L. 8. s. Supply, which
rammed them September 8. 1t is plan.
ned to put the Fig and F-3 in drydock
early next week for these repairs. The
FL would follow when the others had
been repaired.
A rumor, traced to no authoritative
source, has been heard on the water
front, that the three submarines were
to go to Pearl Harbor, pending exam
'ination, and that they would have only
a few men of their crews left on watch
This report had currency before the
despatch came yesterday from Wash
in0fnn