The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-05-28
Heavy Weather Results In Set
Back For Those Saving "a:
Two Gables Broke and Third
Was Dropped To Save It
CRAFT RAISED WITHIN Il s
FORTY FEET OF SURFACE
Check Yesterday Win Mean De-
lay Of Several Days Before "a
IS Brought To Surface and
)rydocked:: Leis From Manoa
.(FrOm Wednesday IS Advertiser)

A mountainous surf broke two lines
about the F-4 yesterday, shattering
hope Of getting her within the harbor
this week She lay in forty feet Of
water last night. Both scows were at
the Quarantine wharf. Only the dredge
Gaylord and the Alert kept watch.
The swell, running heavy all day, sud
denly increased in violence yesterday
afternoon. At that time, only three
lines held the F-4, the fourth having
been Stacked of to change its position.
Scows swayed and tossed on the high
surf, which broke a few hundred yards
beyond the reef. S ~ -
With immense force, the surf pushed
the scows, Submarine and all toward
the reef. The submarine began to
pound badly on the sea floor below. A
hurried call, for tugs was sent. Four
began towing TO get the salvage craft
in front of the channel entrance again
Donkey engines started hosting quick
ly. - 49,
They raised the submarine fourteen
feet, although only three lines could
be used. About three-thirty o'clock
the single aft line snapped above the
chain shackle.
Last Hold Dropped
Tugs ceased towing. An hour later
one of the forward lines gave way
Lieut.. G. +. Smith ordered the slack
aft line dropped to the bottom, while
Fred Buss went to work to pull the
"Hilor line from under the bow OF
the F-4. Both scows were ordered in
Air will be used to tighten the craft
by expellingy water. Divers will &c
down today TO examine the boat. Lieu
tenant Smith and Lieutenant Command
or Furer will form their plans for rails
ing the submarine to get her within the
caused by the lines parting probably
Now Forty Feet Deep
The Fi4 had been raised to fifty -four
feet. She had lain in eighty three
when work began at five o'clock in
the morning. After this gain, lifting
was stopped to straighten out the aft
line. 1t was while this was being done
that the swell became dangerously high.
The craft now lies in forty feet of
water.
On March 25, two months ago yes
terday, the "a was lost.
The scows were within $50 yards of
the channel entrance, on the west side,
directly beyond No. l buoy, when the
lines parted.
There will be delay, of course, but
the eventual recovery of the submarine
has not been jeopardized in the least.
Surf Unusually High
Seldom has higher surf been seen
here than that which broke yesterday,
1t was especially bad on the reef par
alleling the channel to the west. 1t
reached its height almost without warn
ing. While the scows sprang and jerked
and lines creaked, the long hills of
green water smoked into spray beyond
them. The scows began driving before
the surf, and the submarine, held half
suspended by the three lines, pounded
on the bottom below.
Situation. Precarious
The situation was precarious. The
FL might receive severe damage or
the lines might give way, as actually
happened. The Matson tug Intrepid
was summoned. The Makaala went
out. The Navajo and Helen already
were there.
The Intrepid and Helen took lines to
the scows, while the Navajo and Helen
began towing the Gaylord which held
the scOws. The first two pulled the
craft away from their bad position, and
the last two towed toward the channel
entrance. The engines hoisted, al.
though they had only three lines, and
succeeded in doing the seeming impossi.
bic by raising the F-4 fourteen feet.
nno ,ha a
the surf could have little idea of its
force. The Gaylord held her equilibri.
UNI nicely, but the scows were veritabIe
chips on the water, playthings of the
sea. With the submarine in compare
lively shallow water, she pitched and
rounded below while the scows rolled
above, often rising while the submarine
was beginning to drop.
Strain Too Great
At cross purposes, expanding their
strength against each other, no cables
could stand the strain. Cribbing of the
mud matches, put in place to hold the
lines in position, tore loose. One of
the grooming lines snapped suddenly;
the submarine settled, and the scow
sprang up. The other scow continued
to wallOw heavily.
Under one especially high swell, one
of the forward lines gave way, steel
wire cable flying loose on the shaft.
Throughout, however, the 'Hilo" line,
staunchest of all, held, although ten
inch Manila cables holding the scows
together and holding the scows to the
Gav'ord snapped like Irvine.
Net discouraged
Lieutenant Smith and Lieutenant
Commander Furer were down-cast but
not discouraged. rs
1t seems that the first twenty five
te9t and the last twenty-five are to be
tn" worst.'' said the latter,
II have TO wait until this dies
down" said Lieutenant Smith. Ono,
thing could have stood this, If we had