The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-21
U-B0AT NIT A NINE
ONLY TWO SURVIVED
Tale Of Loss Of One OF Newest That
Came Out OF Ze~bruRg~ Before
Harbor Blocking

London, July 20.--From informatt0n
which has reached neutral CORES
spondent from three distinct sources ~
lis possible to reconstruct the events
connected with the destruction OF
U-boat--one of the largest and most
recent type of German submarines
which was one OF the last vessels to-
leave Zeebrugge before that harbor
was bottled up by Vice Admiral Hir
Roger Keyss forces on April ~ last.
This particular vessel. sunk after
striking mine. affords OF the
grimmest narratives yet told in COM
nection with the war.
Out of a crew of forty odd only two
survived on reaching the surface after
n terrible struggle with death for
about an hour and a half, twenty faith
ons below the surface. where the
U-boat had foundered after encounters.
ing the mine. number of the crew
committed suicide in the submarine.
having lost all hope of any chance
of lea wing the boat alive.
Heavy Explosion shook Her.
The U-hoat had not proceeded far
from Zeehrugge when there was q
heavy external explosion due to col-
lision with mine, which shook the
vessel from end to end and threw the
more delicate machinery completely out
of gear The electric switches were
put out Of position and portions Of the
vessels we're plunged into darkness.
The craft Owed rapidly BY the stern to
the sea floor. Succeeding In re-estab-
fishing the light. the engineer officer
tried 10 put the boat on an even keel
and. being unable TO bring this about
by means of the engines, ordered the
crew TO make a combined rush for
ward. which had the effect of putting
the boat into a horizontal position
and also prevented her from turning
turtle az she had threatened to do.
No sooner had this been done when
water began to pour In aft between
the plates which had been forced
apart by the explosion. An attempt
was made to blow the tanks but this
was unsuccessful and the vessel failed
to answer any endeavors on the part
Of the officers and crew to bring 1t to
the surface The thrush Of water fn-
creased in spite of all attempts made
to stop the leaks and the position fast
became more terrible. The only chance
/ of escaping alive was TO force open
the coming tower and forward matches
and trust to the compression OF air In
one part of the vessel to force each
man torpedoliiSe clear to the surface.
The chances Of success were remote,
for water was continually rushing into
the Uboat and at a depth OF over
twenty fathoms the pressure on the
!
forced by the oncoming water to re-
main forward The comma nder and
the engineer officer took their places
in the coming tower An endeavor was
made to open one of the torpedo
matches. but the outside pressure
proved too great.
Could Not Open Hatch.
The doors remained immovable. In.
side the submarine as the precious
minutes passed the water mounted
higher and higher. creeping slowly
over the mems feet and then mount.
Ing their legs The nerves of all were
strongly tried-the matches stiil would
not move. A fresh source of danger
now arose, for the sea water pene-
trated the voice tubes In the control
room and mixing with the chemicals In
the accumulators. set up a poisonous
gas so that the imprisoned men were
faced with drowning and also suffoca-
tion by chemical fumes.
Urged on by their comrades the mEn
nearest the hatch tried again and again
i to release it and then. tired out. gave
! way to others who Jared no better.
| Urea thing by now had become exceed
| ingly difficult for. in addition to pois-
| onous gas, the rising of the water i'm
side increased the pressure OF the air
! In the gradually contracting space in
| the forward part of the vessel to A
| very great density. Then il was that
| suicides followed One of the crew
! succeeded in forcing the aperture Of
| one OF the torpedo chambers, and rs
| the mass of water increased. the air
i pressure at last became sufficient TO
| enable them to force open the for
| ward matches and the coming tower
| hatch.