Arizona republican., 1920-09-05
SUB SURVIVORS
GIVE DETAILED
ACCOUNT Of So
DEEP SEA DIVE
TRepubIican A. p. Leased Wirel

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4-Thirty-
six men trooped down the gang plank
of the destroyer Biddle tonight at
Philadelphia navy yard. The first of
the group was raising hfs voice IN a
nautical tenor's version of How Dry
L Am" and accompanying his song by
a broad smile. Behind him came the
rest, some singing, some calling out
CHEEKY "Hellos' and but all smiling.
This was the home coming Of the
survivors of the submarine So. Their
boat is at the bottom of the sea, but
il is expected it will be salvaged.
A few hours before kindly fate aid :
ing the never falling Tuck of the navy
had snatched them from the jaws OF
death and released them from nearly
two days entombment in a submarine.
one end of which rested on the ocean
floor and the other stuck up III the
water at an asgfe of 50 degrees. Penned
up for hours in two narrow compart-
ments, they had waited hour after hour
for release.
Every minute of the time had been
accompanied by a joke or a laugh or a
smile from someone. even during the
most trying minutes-minutes when
deadly chlorine gas was creeping over
them and they were forced to put on
gas masks to keep alive
Tonight the first answer to ques-
toners. curious to know how It telt 10
be face to face with death for more
than 40 hours, Joseph Star Youker, an
apprentice seaman of Camden, n j.
voiced the sentiment of his fellows
with the statement:
Laud Submarine Commander
Great. 1t was wonderful. 1t showed
that we have the best crew IN the
navy want to be In on the next
dive and l want to make 1t with SaYvy
Cooke"
All were willing to discuss their own
experiences but they had something to
saw on another subject. They wanted
the world and especially President VIII
son and Secretary Daniels to know
that during their trying experience
they had found out that Lieutenant
Commander Charles NJ. Cooke, Jr., Is
the greatest and bravest man in the
navy. And for fear there might be any
mistake in the matter, before they left
the BiddIe, a round robin had been
signed and forwarded to Secretary
| Daniels by wireless. setting forth
these opinions and ending with re-
| quest that they be sent back to the
! S-5 as soon as it salVaged and placed
| in commission and that they be under
the command of Cooke, or that i
Cooke cannot command the SIS, thai
he be given another ship a submarine
and that they be allowed to follow
him.
May Reward Sailors
Although the sailors did not know it
at about the same time a petition wai
being sent to President Wilson b'
| Cooke asking him to take steps Il
! suitably reward the brave men wht
had faced death with him so smilingly
and unflinchingly.
Every man was in high spirits Three
were feeling the effects of the gas
! bat they were able to walk down the
gang plank. They were taken to the
navy yard hospital for treatment. They
/ are not expected to experience ana
serious permanent results from then
| casing, but the navy is taking ni
| chances and they will remain in tbs
| hospital several days at least. Every
man was met at the gang plank hs
/ Admiral Charles F. Hughes. As th'
admiral, who is commandant at the
navy yard, reached out his hand Will
the question, How are you - each one
even the three sick men, Strengthened
up and with a brisk navy salute an
swered: Zine, thank you sir"
Piecing together the brief interview!
the men would give, it was easy to OBJ
i tain a fairly accurate story of their eX
perience at the bottom of the sea. Th'
cause of the accident, the men de
clared, was a failure of the main al
induction to work. Who was to E!3m'
for this they did not know. That vii
be the task of the naval board of in
quiry. the preliminaries of which be
gan today on the battleship Ohio.
Will Investigate Accident
It was in order that he be presen
at this hearing that Lieutenant Com
rnander Cooke was absent from the re
turning group.
According to the story. a about
o'clock Wednesday afternoon the s
was about fiftv-five miles off Cap
Henlopen when Lieutenant Commando
Cooke gave orders for a practice
crash dive" This is a war maneuve
used when speedy submerging is de
sired i had been tried the day be
fore and had been successful
The signal had been given and every
man was at his place The matches
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