New Britain herald., 1915-03-26
SUBMARINE "A SUNK
 IN hON0LU[U HARBOR
J. 5. SubmeTS|b.c Under al Lfd}l
 1hIly-tiVc FaIhjmS of Water.
IWENIY-S'X LIVES PROBABLY LOST

iWLVII-Uh LiIlU INUUhULI LUUi Feared That Underwater Craft Struck
 Rock and That Crew Were Drowned
 in Inrushing Waters or That There
 Was an Internal Explosion.
 Washington, March 26.-Trapped at the bottom of Honolulu harbor un- der at least thirty-five fathoms of states submarine "A lies helpless with her commander and at least eighteen men, in what is feared to be one of the worst submarine boat dis asters in the worlds naval history.
 More than twenty -four hours of every effort known to naval practice to raise the sunken boat or get sig nal from her crew have failed. Her marker buoy which should come to the top to mark her resting place in such an emergency has failed to ap- pear: the surface of the water at thirty fatnoms is covered with a film of oil from the submerged boats tanks.
 Fear Two Calamtics.
 Navy department officials fear one or two calamities, that the F'-4 struck q rock and that her crew were drowned in the inrushing waters, or that there was an internal explosion.
 While hope for the men has not been
 
 tained that they may have been lost in the first submarine boat disaster of the United States navy.
 Slipped Over Ledge.
 On the face of meagre official re- ports from the Honolulu Naval Sta ton, which said the F4 disappeared at 9:15 o'clock yesterday morning after making a dive during maneuvers and that constant grapplfng and div ing has failed to locate her definite ly. naval officers fear the boat may nave slipped over a ledge on the vol canic rock bottom of the harbor into some deep pocket out of reach of help.
 The diving record of a man is 240 feet: the worlds diving record of a submarnc-made by ar American boat, the Fl, a sister ship of the "A, is 2S3 feet. If the F-4, by acci- dent or otherwise. has gone deeper, it is feared the tremendous pressure of the waters had crushed her shell.
 something Terrible Happened
 Although fitted with the latest de- vice in safety air locks, through which a man can be shot to safety Tt fhirt fl fathoms. the men on the F-4 appdr- entity have been unable to use them, and that fact. coupled with the fact that they have not released their marker bouy makes officials fear something terrible has happened down in the dark.
 Early today the navy department. received this despatch from Com 1nander Charles E. Smith, command ing the first submarine division of the Pacific fleet, off Honolulu:
 "F-4 left tender at a. m.. for submerged run March 25. Failed to return to surface. Entrance of her Dor in thirty fathoms of water covered with fuel oil Diving and dragging"
 Indication for Recovery.
 The fact that the F-1 had been sub
 
 feet and withstood the test was con- sidered a favorab b1e indication for the recovery of the F-4 provided she is not in 72O feet of water, as first re- ports said.
 Lieutenant Alfred Louis Ede. junior grade, in command of the F-4, is 2S wears old. His home is aI Reno, Nev. He was graduated from the Naval Academy in the class of 1909 and most of his service has been on the Pacific coast
 The lieutenant was married Just be- fore sailing for Honolulu, where his " ife-is.
 Frantic For. News.
 Relatives of members of the crew of the TT-4 here arc frantic for news James M Hoggett electrician, Of Macedonia, Mo, who was on shore leave is the only member of the crew known to have escaped.
 The naval tug Navajo and other vessels are grappling for the subma- rine. Shortly after midnight the Maya jo and the tug Intrepid reported their lines fast, at a depth of thirty-five | fathoinS, to what was believed to bo l I'-4. Other vessels of tEc ! fleet immediately went to the spot to investigate.
 Holding Target Practice.
 The flotilla of submarines statiC1cd | here were engaged in target praclcc ! early yesterday near the harbor en- l