The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-06
THINK SIS GAN BE
FLOATED; IS men OF
CREW ARE LANDED

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. G.
opinion today that the sunken sub
marine SIS could readily be salvaged
with special equipment already or
dered to the scene. The boat from
which SO men we're rescued is at the
bottom at depth of $50 feet of the
Delaware capes with only a floating
buoy to indicate the spot.
The submarine tender Beaver is
standing by. The battleship Ohio,
from which the submarine broke away
when an attempt was being made to
tow her to shallow water Saturday,
has returned to Hampton Roads.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Sept. g.
According to an unofficial report re-
| ceived here today. Lieutenant Com
mander Charles NJ. Cook, in his testi-
mony on board the battleship Ohio, in
the preliminary inquiry, is of the be-
lief that neglect to close the main in
duction valve was responsible for the
sinking of the submarine S-5 off the
Delaware cape last week.
According to the unofficial report
Commander Cook said:
AT the time Of making a crash dive
there are innumerable things that
must be done almost at the same in.
slant and can hardly hold anyone Gull
pable, l believe. for the overlooking Of
an instant of one detail. The vessel
| carried some ballast to correct a slight
| list and this, believe, accelerated her
dive to more than ordinary speed
Does Not Condemn Anyone
Asked if he considered any member
IT, 80
| ton or condemnation, Commander
| Cook, according to the unofficial YER
| sion, said:
II do not believe any particular
member of my crew or any of the
| crews Of the vessel that attended to
! our rescue are deserving of letter OF
condemnation, owing to their excep-
| tional behavior during our confine-
ment On the other hand, l think all
the officers and men of my crew are
| most amply deserving Of commenda-
ton for their magnificent morale, their
courage and their accomplishing per-
severance and attention to duty in
those trying hours.
| Mentions Men for Praise
| ut would be most difficule to make
gradations Of exceptional merit in the
! general high sense of duty shown by
| the men at this time. The captain of
the Alanthus carried out to the letter
! the best traditions of the sea in his
discovery and investigation of our dis.
tress signal and his effort at rescue
Chief Engineer Grace, of the Goethals
worked untiringly for eight hours with
ratchet and breast drill to cut through
the side of the SIS and he set our
| rescue"
Thirty-six men trooped down the gang.
plank of the destroyer Biddle Satur.
day night at the Philadelphia navy
yard. The first of the group was rails.
ing his voice in nautical tenor's yer
sion Of How Dry 1 Am" and accom-
panying his song by broad smile
Behind him came the rest, some sing
ing, some calling out CHEEKY "Hellos,'
but all smiling.
/ This was the Homecoming Of the
survivors of the submarine SIS. Their
boat is at the bottom Of the sea, but
it is expected it will be salvaged.
A few hours before, kindly fate, aid
ing the never failing luck of the
navy" had snatched them from death
and released them from nearly two
days entcmbment in a submarine, one
end or which rested on the oceaT
floor and the other stuck up in the
water at an angle Of so degrees. Pen
ned up in two narrow compartments
they had waited hour after hour fol
/ release.
Joked Through 1t All
, Every minute of the time had beer
accompanied by a joke or laugh or {
smile from some one, even during the
, most trying minutes-minutes wheI
|, deadly chlorine gas was creeping owe,
them and they were forced to don ga:
masks to keep alive.
Last night, when once more back OF
land. in answer to questioners curious
to know how it felt to be face to fac,
with death for more than forty hours
Joseph Starr Youker, an apprentice