Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-20
Reasons Why United States Sub.
marine Blew Up at Brooklyn
Saturday, Killing Four Men
and Injuring 10, Not Known.
INVESTIGATION At ONCE
Edison Expert Has an Opinion
as to Cause of Catastrophe,
but Will Not Say What 1t Is
The Preliminary Inquiry into
Disaster COnd acted Secretly.

New York, Jan. l6.--A statement indi-
eating that the new Edison storage bat
terry was not in any way responsible for
the explosion on the submarine e. at
the New York navy yard Yesterday was
made tonight by Miller Reese Hutchn.
son. chief engineer for Thomas A. Edi-
son. and n member of the naval con-
sulung BOARD.
New York. Jan. 16.--Four men were
killed and ten were injured by an ex-
plosion inside the United States navy
submarine E-2 yesterday afternoon in
the drydock at the Brooklyn navy yard.
Rear Admiral Usher yesterday put
the blame squarely on the new Edison
storage batteries that were being tested
| on the boat. IT was the only submarine
in the navy that had been equipped with
the new Edison batteries thus far.
though if the test proved their worth
it was expected that they would be
adopted for use in all United States
submarines.
The force of the explosion was so
great that it wrecked completely the
whole interior of the big undersea boat.
| The mechanism, some of it us delicate
as watch works, was a mass of debris
when rescucrs in oxygen helmets went
to the aid of the suffering men inside.
Efforts at rescue were almost impossi-
BILE Immediately after the accident be-
| cause of the dense and pungent fumes
that filled the boat 1t was not until
! five electric fume blowers had been at
work for some time that the workers
| were able to dig into the debris and take
out the dead and wounded. Most Of the
injured had been held under wrecked
machinery and overcome by gases.
New York, Jan. 16-Tho preliminary in
quiry into the explosion was held in
secret to-day by the board Of inquiry ap-
| pointed by Rear Admiral Nathaniel K.
Usher, commandment of the navy yard.
| Neither Admiral Usher nor any of those
present would discuss what TRANSFERRED.
| Persons on board or near the E-2 at the
time Of the explosion were questioned at
| length.
Rear Admiral Usher made the following
| formal statement tonight;
The board of inquiry met to-day and
! went aboard the submarine where they
conducted a thorough investigation. The
|
fore toard will meet again tomorrow,
| No conclusion was reached
| Nothing approXimating an official
theory as to the cause of the explosion
! which resulted in the death of four work
men and the injury of ten others was OBJ
tainable The only light shed upon the
disaster was contained in the stateracn,
of Mr.. Hutchinson who absoved from
blame the Edison battery designed tc
minimize the danger to submarine crews
resulting from Accommodations Of gas. The
E-2 was the only boat thus far equipped
with these batteries. the tests of which
were reported to be thoroughly salts
factory
Il have made as complete an inspection
of the interior of the submarine E-o as
conditions will at present admit" said Mr.
Hutchinson. This inspection was mad.
As Mr.. Edison's chief engineer and per
sonal representative. have formed 2
tentative opinion. This | have transmit
ted to the commandment of the New Yorr
navy yard, under whose jurisdiction thi
boat was on January H. 1915. 1t is sub
1ect to revision when all the facts arr
brought forth by the board Of inquil,
which Admiral Usher has ordered
Having been present at the prelimi
nary inspection. consider am bound b,
the same rules and regulations as is
naval officer IN matters of confidential
nature, and must refer you to Admira
Usher for such information as he ma,
be in position and inclined to give
AS to the Edison battery, with all tn
facts and conditions before me, | see n
reason to recommend to Mr.. Edison an
changes or alterations in the theory
, construction or method Of installation o
the Edison submarine type storage bat
terry, The battery in the E-2 does no
appear to have been injured in tn
least"
\ large number of persons went l.
the navy yard this afternoon to viey
the wreck Of the submarine, but marine
on guard prevented them from golu
closer than J. or 10 feet.
Al the hospitals where the injurc
We're taken it was said several of then
were in a serious condition and one i
eypectel TO die