The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-22
Mother Ship Laksco, Lash ed to L-5, and Carrying Cargo of Torpedoes Bat !. tered About in Storm Off Provincetown, Then Is Driven Ashore.
Crew of Vessel in Danger Amid High Explosives
 Submarine Crew Escapes When They Cut Away Undersea Boat From the Wind-Buffeted Craft.

The LakScO, submarine ten der of the Lake Torpedo Boat Co., and formerly the United States revenue cutter Wood bury, is ashore at Province town, Mass. Heroic efforts of the crew to keep it afloat and to save the submarines esL-5 during a terrific storm Saturday night were but partially successful.
 The submarine L-5 is report ed undamaged but the Laksco, a vessel of 33O tons, under com nnand of Capt. Sloane Danne-. hauer of Bridgeport, is on the beach of Cape Cod where eff forts are being made today to refloat her.
 The Laksco at tho time she sailed from Bridgeport on March 1z,. was carrying a cargo of submarine torpe- does for use in the government tests to be made on the submarine L-5. The predicament of the boat in the high gale and made fast to a submarine, was such as to make the crews of both vessels shudder.
 Telegraphic reports from Boston said the Laksco was lost off Province town. Commander. Richard H. M. Robinson, managing director of the Lake Torpedo Boat Co.,, today denied that the vessel has sunk, having posi- tive advices that the crew of IA have been saved and that the vessel was safely beached. Because of his onf- cial position further details of the dis aster are refused for publication un- der government restrictions.
 From sources closely allied to members of the crew it was learned that the Laksco made the trip to Provincetown under the tow of the Mercury of the Boston Towboat Co. The mother ship had been preceded one day by the submarine.
 At the proving ground some, miles off the cape and in deep water the anchors of the Laksco were dropped and the submarine ran alongside. During the evening of Saturday a northwesterly blow arose.
 As the gale increased all hands were ordered upon the submarine and the
 
 wallowfhg about in the trough of the sea momentarily threatening to crush the more frail Ypdersea craft and it's human freight to the bottom. With the utmost pluck officers and men of both the submarine crew and the workmen employed by the Lake Com pany in whose charge the boat still remained, gained the deck of the sub- marine and at constant risk of being swept from the decks managed to loosen the fastening lines and slip away into the darkness of the night.
 What heroism was shown and the steps taken to manoeuvre the subma- rine from the proximity of the now sinking Laksco probably will not be known for the most stringent secrecy has been ordered.
 On board the mother ship efforts were made to keep her headed to the wind and to pump the bilges clear of water rapidly rushing through the parting seams. As the old vessel, built at Philadelphia in 1864. and for many years in the North Atlantic service of the United States revenue depart ment, strained at her heavy cables, her seams were $prung with alarming rapidity. The gasoline pumps were insufficient.
 One larger wave than the others which nearly swept the decks IS said to have stove in the p1anging on the { port bow. With an thrush of water which drove those below from their hunks it was seen by the officers that all efforts to keep the boat afioat or even take to the small boats were unavailing. There was but one course to pursue. to stick by the ship and take individual chances Of safety as the boat grounded near shore.
 The high northwest wind quickly drove the boat upon the beach, which at that point is said to shelve abrupt
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