The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-16
Several Survivors So Badly
Hurt They Are Likely
to Die.
COURT OF INQUIRY
TO DETERMINE CAUSE
Navy Officials in Washing
ton Hint at a Deliberate
Use Of Explosives.


far are unable to explain wrecked the
interior OF the L. :. submarine E-2
while she was being repaired in Dry
Dock No. 2 In the New York Navy Yard
at 1.l5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
killing one enlisted man and three
yard workmen and injuring at least
ten others so severely that some OF
them are expected to die.
The E-2 was the only submarine in
the navy equipped with Edison bat
teries. for which the chief merit
claimed is that they do not give of
chlorine gas. Also the E-o had no
gasolene aboard. as her motive power
Is generated by a Diesel oil burning
engine. There was no explosive pow
der aboard.
IL an accumulation Of hydrogen
caused the explosion. which wac the
only explanation offered last night. 1.
was gas which had accumulated be-
tween the top OF the steel battery jars
and the elcc,rolitc..
The vessel and other submarines Of
the type which are equipped with
these new batteries, the invention Of
Thomas A. Edison. have go OF these
batteries. each in stee. jar. and each
battery weighing about 600 pounds.
The hydrogen gas accumulates In top.
above a quantity Of water. usually
about twenty gallons. which is kept
there.
Were Drawing on Gas.
The men at work upon these hat
terles yesterday were engaged in
drawing of the gas and replenishhg
the water supplies.
1t is thought probable that some
workman touched wrench or piece
OF iron to the terminals or one OF thc
batteries. thus making an arc. AND ina,
this produced the spark which caused
the explosion
These batteries are reached by un-
screwtng some of the plates III the
deck. Under this theory the explosion
Of the 23O batteries would not ne
simultaneous. but descriptions or yes
terday's explosions agree that IL was
"lonp. low and dull" II one battery
exploded, forcing in the sides OF other
batteries near by and causing them L"
explode. which in turn would eNplod"
other batteries, such sounn 'n'sh'
result, particularly as the sldes ot 'H'
submarine would muffle the distinct
ness Of the separate ensuing reports
and merge them all into one lohs'
low and dull" explosion.
Word from Washington last n'ght
Aid that certain Navy Department or
hcials entertained suspicion that the
explosion was one deliberately caused
by outside agencies.
There was not-a, least there
should not have been-anythinI
aboard the E-2." was the way Rear
Admiral Nathaniel X. Usher, com
mandant of the navy yard, put 1t In
reply to questions. which could ex-
plode."
The submarine had been in dry dock
since December 80 last. Consequently
she was as dry outside and inside as a
smoked
when an undersea boat is submerged
might help in the formation or gases
in submarines equipped with lead bat
teries-which the E-2 was not--could
not enter into the accident. In times
Of peace the torpedoes are not fitted
out with war heads" of explosives.
BESIDES. il "A torpedo had caused the
death and wreckage the force of the
explosion would have been so great
that doubtless the e. would have
been ripped apart. whereas there are
no marks of the explosion to he seen
on her outside plates any place.
Commander Was Aboard.
The commander of the E-2, Lieut.,
Charles NJ. Cooke, .Ir.. and about
thirty members Of the crew and yard
workmen We're aboard the submarine
when the explosion happened. Be-