The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-09-09
COME Up SMILING
FROM DEATH JAWS
SAILORS RESCUED FROM SUBNlA-
RINE SINGING.
Praise Their Officer.
Men Not Willing to Talk Of Own En-
neriences but Willing to Talf of
Lieut.. Commander Cooke.

the destroyer Biddle tonlght at the
Philadelphia navy yard. The hrst
man of the group was raising MS
voice in a nautical tenor's version OF
Glow Dry I AM and accompanying
his song by broad smile. Behind
him trooped the rest, some singing
some calling out CHEEKY "Hellos,' put
all smiling.
This was the home coming of the
survivors of the submarine So. Tneir
boat is at the bottom of the sea, eut
if is expected it will be salvaged. A
few hours before a kindly fate aiding,
the never failing ''luck of the navy
had snatched them from the jaws OF
death and released them from nearly
two days entombment in submarine,
one end of which rested on the ocean
floor and the other stuck up IN the
wafer. at an angle Of 60 degrees.
Penned up for hours in two narrow
commandments, they had waited hour
after hour for release.
Every minute of the time had been
accompanied by joke or laugh or
a smile from some one, even during
the most trying minutes-mlnutes
when deadly chlorine gas was creep
ing over them and they were forced
to don gas masks to keep alive.
Tonight when once more back on
land the first answer to questloners
curious to know how, it felt to be lace
to face with death for more than Az
hours. Joseph Star Yoker, an appren-
tice seaman of Camden, n. j., valced
the sentiment of his fellows with the
statement: "Great. 1t was wonder
full It showed that we have the best
crew in the navy. I want to be IN
on the new dive and want to make
it with 'Savy' Cooke"
Praise for Cooke.
All we're willing to dismiss thelr
own experiences, but they had some
thing to say on any other subject.
They wanted the world, and especially
President Wilson and Secretary Dan
iels. to know that during their trying
experience they had found out that
Lieut.. Comndr. Charles NJ. Cooke, Jr.,
is the greatest and bravest man IN the
entire navy. And for fear there might
he anv mistake in the matter before
they left the Biddle, round robin
had been signed and forwarded to
Secretary Daniels by wireless setting
forth the,opinion and ending with a
request that they be sent back to the
So as soon as it is salvaged and
placed in commission and that they be
under the command of Cooke, or that
if Cooke can not command the So
again. that he be given another ship,
a submarine, and that they be allowed
to follow him.
Although the sailors did not know
it, at about the same time petition
was being sent to President Wilson by
Cooke asking him to take steps suit
ably to reward the brave men who
had faced death with him so smilingly
and unfinchingly.
Every man was in high spirits.
Three were feeling the effects of the
gas, but they were able to walk down
the gang plank. They were taken to
navy yard hospital for treatment.
They are: Joseph o. Savage, seaman
of Eleco, Pa; Jacob Akers, Jr., of
Warnecliffe, W. Va, and Robert O..
Igdnez of the PHILIPPINE Islands, a
mess attendant. They are not expect
ed to experience any serious perman-
ent results from their gassing but the
navy is taking no chances and they
Wal remain in the hospital several
days at least. Every man was met at
the gangplank by Admiral Charles F.
Hughes. AS the admiral who is COM
mandant at the navy yard, reached
out his hand with the question: "How
are you?" each one, even the three
sick men Strengthened up and with
a brisk navy salute answered briskly:
Fine, thank you, sir
Piecing together the brief inter-
views the men would give. it was
easy to obtain fairly accurate story
of their thrilling experience at the
bottom of the sea. The cause of the
accident, the men declared, was a
failure of the main air induction to
work. Who was to blame for this
they did not know. That will be the
task of the navy board of inquiry, the
preliminaries of which began today