Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-31
HOW INVENTORS HAVE PROPOSED TO
SAVE MEN FROM SUBMARINE Death

ItI3 bOatsD % lives have been lost by
collision. and - by laundering and eN.
! pl0siOns. In the "B" class ell boats
! l. lives have been lost by collision
none through other causes In the
"C'' Glars t3H bOatsJ - lives have
| been .Ost 50 far in the r" class there
| has been one accident from explosion
which was esIonSible for the loss of
! three lives
Whatever the cause Of the mishap
10 the Al" there is apparently no
known reason to suppose that the con.
ning-tOWer was damaged II doubtless
remained clear Of the sand and mud
| in which a portion OF the vessel was
! imbedded. and under such cirCum-
stances, although the arlocks and
| helmets mat have not been Of any
/ use, owing TO the depth. If the coming
| tower had been detachable as a whole
apparatus, Water-tight and provided
! with dir-stOrage. which would rise on
| being set free from the hull. there
| would have been some chance Of res
Cuing the crew. provided they were
not killed by the same cause which
! reverted the rising submarine itself.
One such apparatus has been designed
and patented by Mr.. E. J. Castle. a
retired draughtsman from his males.
| tvs service, and another by Mr.. G..
| Fitzhardinge Rose Of London.
Mr.. Castles idea is, to use his own
words, referring to the illustration Of
the invention, as follows:
To fit two towers, 5 feet in diane
! ter, and about 3 feet inches deep,
| constructed of steel. we'll strengthened
inside with brackets and steel angles.
and placed on the water-tight bulk.
heads. Ely this method, in the event
of any one compartment getting wa
terlogged by escaping into an unflOod-
ed one, the crew can release them
selves from the vessel by opening the
escape ScuttleS on either side of the
bulkhead in submarines and towers,
and closing both when inside (making
the vessel intact and detaching them
by means of clips. In the case of the
''Lutine" (FrenCn submarineI where
all the crew were lost, some escaped
from a flooded to an unflooded com
partment, and lived for an hour but
there was no detachable tower or other
BY my method escape is afforded from
three compartments for about to 10
men in each. A small hydraulic is
provided for the purpose of eXerting
an upward pressure is required.
"On the manhOle cover in each
tower is signal apparatus fitted with
a cork buoy, which, on being released
from insi1e by turning back the screw,
rises 10 the surface and will show the
position of towers. The towers are
three feet six inches above the deck,
but they can be fitted at varying
heights to reduce resistance if requir.
ed.
"A flexible wire is slowed in wa
ter-light ring, the buoy resting upon
it, the wire passing over a bracket, so
as to have vertical pull in the event
of the vessel being inclined. The
alarm is located below the cover; bal
last is fitted for the purpose of keep
ing the towers stable in the light con.
dition.
Il Although the fitting of chamber is |
not new idea, as a few have been
patented, this plan is theoretically, and |
i think If tried would be found to be |
practically correct for life-saving pur
poses, and would not weaken the yes. |
sci, while at the same time giving |
good chances for the crew to get out |
at either end at great depth. There |
would be danger, as with the pres
ent connfng-towers,S of damage in case |
Of collision, but still the vessel would |
continue to be yater-tight."
Mr.. Roses invention includes a sub
marine lifeboat and buoy. The life. |
boat consists of cylindrical chamber |
some eight feet in diameter, held I'M
der normal conditions within a water. /
tight compartment by means of a stout |
screw carried through the base. At |
one spot within the water-tight com.
partment is a secondary chamber con- |
tanning buoy attached to a length of |
wire. On an accident happening to |
the submarine, the crew enter the wa.
ter-tight belt and, sealing the door be- |
hind them, pass on to the inner cy-
Under. One stays behind sufficiently |
long to release, by means of a level
gear, the buoy in the smaller cham
Der. The buoy rises to the surface at |
once, and indicates the whereabouts |
Of the submerged craft. AS soon as
the crew are within the inner cylinder |
and the doors are shut, the cylinder
is released from its contact with the
body of the submarine by the unscrew-
ing Of the grip beneath the floor. If |
the compartment in which the cylinder
rests has not been damaged, the cylin-
der at once rises to the surface by
its own buoyancy. There is an cleo
trio light in the conning-tower and an
apparatus for firing distance-rockets,
so that, whether by day or night, at
tention can be called to the position
of the floating cylinder, with a view
to obtaining help and avoiding col
lision. In calm weather, collapsible