Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-07-22
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U-BOAT HIT A NINE
Tale of Loss of One Of Newest That
Came Out of Zeebrugge Before
Harbor Blocking.

London, July 22-From information
which has reached a neutral CORE
snoodent from three distinct sources
If is 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 bottled up by Vice Admiral
Sir Roger Keys forces on April "a
last. This particular vssei, sunk after
striking a mine. affords one OF the
primmest narratives yet told IN con-
nection with the war.
Ont of crew of forty odd only two
survived on reaching the surface after
a terrible struggle with death Tor
about an hour and a half, twenty
fathoms bellows the surface, where
the U-boat had foundered after en-
countering the mine. A number OF the
crew committed suicide in the sub
marine, having lost all hope OF any
chance of leaving the boat alive.
The U-boat had not proceeded lar
from Zeebrugge when there was
heavy external explosion due to a col
lision with a mine, which shook the
vessel from end to end and threw the
more delicate machinery completely
out of gear. The electric witches
were put out of position and portions
of the vessel were plunged into dark
ness. The craft dived rapidly by the
stern to the sea floor. Succeeding IN
re-establishing the light, the engineer
officer tried to put the boat on an even
keel and. being unable to bring this
about by means of the engines, or
dered the crew to make combined
rush forward, which had the effect OF
putting the boat into horizontal posi-
ton and also prevented her from
turning turtle as 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 fail
ed to answer any endeavors on the
part of the officers and crew to bring
it to the surface. The thrush OF
water increased in spite of all at
tempts made to stop the leaks and
the position fast became more terri
BILE. The only chance of escaping
alive was to force open the coming
t~wer and forward matches and trust
to the compression of air in one part
of the vessel to force each man tor
, pedolike clear to the surface.
The chances of success were remote,
for water was continually rushing in
to the U-boat and at depth OF over
twenty fathoms the pressure ON the
hull was very great. The men were
forced by the oncoming water to re-
main forward. The commander 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.
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 mounting
their legs. The nerves of all were
strongly tried-the matches still 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 poison
Gus gas so that the imprisoned men
were faced with drowning and also
suffocation by chemical fumes.
Urged On by their comrades, the
men nearest the hatch tried again and
again to release it and then. tired out,
gave way OF others who Jared no bet
ter. Breathing by now had become
exceedingly difficult for, in addition
to poisonous gas, the rising of the
water inside increased the pressure
of the air in the gradually contracting
space in the forward part of the YES
sci to very great density. Then 1t
was that suicides followed. One of the
crew succeeded in forcing the aper-
ture of one of the torpedo chambers.
and, as the mass of water INCREASED.
the air pressure at last became suf-
ficient to enable them to force open
the forward matches and the coming
tewsz hatch. i