Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-11
ARGUMENTS ON
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR DISASTER
Counsel for Commander of
E-2 Says Explosion onI
Board Was Due to DefeCtiyeI
Batteries Installed.
t.r aoaa,aa JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,..

fUf MORNING JOURNAL LEASED WIRE
New York, Feb. 0.-Responsibility
! for the explosion upon the submarine
E-2 at the New York navy yard which
resulted in five deaths was placed
upon the Edison Storage Battery com
pany by Lieut. w. G. Nimitz counsel
for Lieut. Charles NJ Cooke command
er Of the vessel who summed up the
evidence In the case this afternoon be-
fore the naval court of inquiry
Commander w. H. McGrann, United
States army. retired. who has repre-
scented the Edison interests, declared
on the contrary that they could not be
held at fault due to the accident
Installation Not Blamed.
Lieutenant Nimitz contended the
storage battery from which 1t has
been asserted hydrogen gas was escap-
ing prior to the explosion was installed
absolutely in accordance with the di-
rcctions of its manufacturers, as was
its invention system He asserted that
the instructions for the care and OPP
GRAFTON of the battery were incomplete
In relation to the ventilation.
Lieutenant Cookies counsel said the
submarine commander had discovered
the existence Of "low cells which be-
tfillt lfNttH fu Nu lOllE ulNA ileii So VI
the batteries. He also sought to OBJ
tain u hydrogen detecting device t.
warn himself of dangerous accumula.
tions of the gas but none was sup
piled him. He attempted also to Oh
tain an instrument which would ena
BILE him to get individual cell voltage
readings but after the device was au-
thorzed by the bureau of steam engi-
neering it was held up by objections
from the Edison company, 1t was said.
Followed Directions.
1t was asserted that the first series
of tests OF the E-2 was considered I'M
satisfactory by the Edison company
and that thereafter the submarine bat
terry was placed at the disposal of its
manufactures that 1t might be i'm
proved preparatory to additional tests.
The discharge Of the storage battery t.
zero voltage on the day of the acct
dent. Lieutenant Nimitz said, was at
the express desire Of the Edison COM
pany He argued that a submarine
operating submerged must of necessi-
ty Ventiate inboard, if it Ventilatcs at
all
The Edison company was fully
aware counsel declared, that the bat
the accident, but that Lieutenant
Cooke was not warned of danger. if
any, of watering" the battery at the
same time it was discharging. I'm clos
ing, he contended that the conduct Of
the submarines commander and crew
prior to the accident was exception
ally commendable, because they
made every effort to familiarize them
selves with the new battery and safe
guard against accidents
Plea for the Company.
Captain McGrann asserted that
while the Edison company was under
no obligations to supply anything
more than a battery for the E-2, it did
all in its power to assure the success
Of the battery, supplying the navy de-
partment with all information possible
concerning the battery, its ventilation
and cooling system, which. played
such an important part i'm the acct
dent lie argued that the real issue
was whether the Edison company mis-
represented its battery or failed to dis
close anything it had reason to believe
the navy department should know in
regard to possible danger. He held
that if naval officials failed to demand
these facts il was not the manufactur-
ers' fault
Known TO BE Dangerous.
"rhe fact that the Edison people
did not warn the navy department
is immaterial," he said 1T is a point
Of record that it was known there
might arise a dangerous condition due
to hydrogen gas. Lieutenant Cooke
knew Of this danger and he has re-
ferred to 1t in a letter which is now in
evidence"
Captain McGrann pointed out that
Lieutenant Cooke had ordered that the
mistake valves of the ventilation sys-
tenn were never to be closed during
discharge. but that chief Electrician
NJ lies had testified he ordered them
partly closed just before the explosion.
He declared. however. that no crit-
cisn was to be made of the comman-
der of The submarine or any of the
workmon. lie held that the explosion
was AN unavoidable accident and
might have happened under any con-
ditions.
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