The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-01-21
u. S. SUBMARINE
E.2 BLOWS UP
EXPLOSION COMES WHEN NEW
EDISON BATTERY WAS BE-
-. ING TESTED.
EOUR DEAD, TEN INJURED
SubmersibIe I'm Brooklyn Navy Yard
Practically Destroyed-Cause
Not Known.

4
New York, Jan. 15.--Four men
were killed and 10 injured, five dan
gerously in an explosion today on the
submarine E-2 while the craft was
undergoing repairs in dry dock at
the New York Navy Yard. One Of
rhe men killed was an enlisted cleo
trician and the others civilian work.
ers.
At least three Of the 10 In the
hospital now are not expected to
live.
The interior was badly shattered.
but SO tight was the vessels shell
ahat there was no means OF escape
for gas and II was more than an
hour after the blast before the work
of recovering the bodies could be
completed. A ladder blown up
through the coming tower fell $50
feet away.
The injured and one body were re-
moved soon after the accident. but
three bodies far down the craft could
not be reached until the gas had been
blown out by compressed air. Soon
after the explosion several officers
led rescue party. but were over
come by fumes when they attempted
to descend into the vessel. It was
then that compressed air pipes were
run into the shell and the gas forced
out.
The number Of men inside the sub
marine at the time of the explosion
is not known definitely. About 20
were working on the craft. II is not
thought possible that any one who
was inside could have escaped In
jury.
What caused the explosion has not
been definitely decided. Rear Admir-
al Nathaniel r. Usher, commandant
OF the navy yard. after an examina-
ton of the craft and questioning
workmen declined to express an
opinion. He said:
"The men we're at work In the
battery compartment Of the E-2, dis
charging the new Edison batteries
through a rheostat to measure the
voltage and the explosion occurred
in that compartment while they were
working there. The battery will gen.
crate no kind Of gas and there was
no gasoline on board. The engine was
of the oil-burning Diesel type"
The opinion was expressed that the
process of withdrawing the charge
from the batteries might have caus-
ed the formation of hydrogen gas.
The explosions of that nature have
been frequent on submarines of all
navies and several have occurred on
American boats within the last few
years. The others were not serious,
however.
The E-2 was the only vessel in the
world equipped with the Edison nick
eel batteries and she made her first
trip with them Dec. last. It was
reported that the new batteries gave
better speed with less fuel.
The Edison battery, experiments
have proven, generates nearly dou-
BILE the ordinary amount of hydro
gen during the process of charging.
but on discharge or while lying idle
gives off much less. During the bat
terry trials there were reports from
her officers of an undue amount of
hydrogen. The boat made one trip
with observers aboard and II was re-
ported that while in operation not
enough gas was generated to be dan
gerous.
Lieut.. Charles M. Cook. comman-
der Of the E-2. was not at the navy
yard when the explosion occurred.
Commander Wurtsbaugh reported
to Secretary Deniels this afternoon
the result of the preliminary in
jury into the explosion.
"As Commanded Wurtsbaugh has
the information at first hand" Mr..
Daniels said. II prefer that he should
inpsrt it. as he can do 1t more intel
; ligsntly than,l can"
Commander Wurtsbaush said:
N. ssThs ma boat. one of the oldest
su6marines. vss IN dry dock when
49, axn1oaion took nlnne II was an