Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-02
EXPERT DIVERS 60 FROM
INV YORK TO HONOLULU

Washington. April i-Rear Adj
miral Moore. In charge ~ operations
90 raise he long submerged subma-
line 81 from the ocean bed outside
Honolulu hafb0r. cabled % the navy
department today that he was pro-
ceeding With the work, pending the
arrival Of a special diving apparatus
aud a corps of expert naval divers
from New York.
The apparatus was forwarded 20
son Francisco late today 20 be snip
itd to Honolulu on the cruiser Mary
land. Rear Admiral Moore's dls-
patch stated he would not be aoie
TO report any progress for several
days" but that he was making pre-
narration to lift" The diving appar-
atus Is due to reach san Francisco
late Monday night and the five divers
were under orders 20 Immediately
embark on the Maryland. The divers
are Gunner q. -. Stillspn, and Gun
nersmates Drclliahak, crilleys Nelson
ana Loughman. Or. O. w Z. French
who has been observing their expert
mental work in Long Island souno
Tor several weeks viii accompany the
squad to Honolulu
That The divers were entirely con
fideut IL their ability to work on the
ocean bed 500 feet or more below the
surface was indicated tonight IN
statement by Secretary Daniels. al
though n said there was "considera-
bic risk ~ diving operations az such
depth.
The statement said
'The great depth in which the F-4
lies, about 210 feet, places her out
side OF the reach Of ordinary diving
operations without the special appli-
ances with which this party is equip
p,d. Practically the only way OF
reaching hor with hosting chains
aud slines is by means Of sweeping
wire hawsers or chains under her
such method being necessarily M;
or miss. when these deep divers reach
Honolulu il will be possible for them,
with their experience. and special APP
piiances 10 go down To the wreck
Hosting sllngs and chains can then
ho attached In such case, OF
course there rs much greater proba-
mllty of raising the sunken vessel
THE navy deep divers have been
down rs deep as ga feet in Long Is
land sound and are confident that
they can work at a depth Of 400 feet
or more. Even with experience. how
ever there is considerable risk in div
ing operations at such a great depth.
Il am determined 10 do all that is
humanity possible In order to ascer-
tain the cause OF the accident and in
order to avoid other such accidents as
this"
Secretary Daniels. after confer
cnce with chief Naval Constructor
Taylor and Rear Admiral Griffin,
chief Of the bureau Of steam engi-
ncoring. issued another statement to-
night replying 10 What he considers
unwarranled criticism as 10 the con-
dition Of the submarines engines and
boilers. Mr. Daniels asserted that
congress had appropriated AL the
money that the department had asked
for the upkeep Of submarines
"Oiher causes assigned for the loss
Of the IA. he said. are that her en-
glnes We're OF poor design and that
her batteries required nverhapling
The engines are some of the first Die
sel engines provided for submarine
toais and from the very nature Of
THINGS are not as good as later en-
gines but they were la every way re-
liable ana III good working condition.
THE most recent reports from the
"a show that both eneines were in
excellent condition during a fS-hour
run. As 10 the battery. report Of
January, 1915, the last one on record.
states that an overhaul had been COM
pleted and that the battery was in
good condition.
AN abundant supply of battery
material WAS tn store az Honolulu, so
there was no reason why tas battery
should not have been in splendid con-
dltion az the time OF the accident, as
Indeed there IL no evidence that il
was not Therefore. nothing within
the knowledge of the navy depart
ment Warrants any doubt as TO the
condition q the engines or batteries
% the F-4~
lsaaess TNsaty T. signed