Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-07
SUBMARINES
CREW SAVED BY
OWN EFFORTS

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4.-The
United States submarine SIS went to
the bottom because a large air intake
made a practice dive. This was re-
vealed today in the official report
of the accident, made by the COM
mander of the destroyer Beaver.
The Beaver is standing by the bat
tleship Ohio. which today is towing
the Inflated submarine to the Della
ware Breakwater.
The Beavers report tells briefly
OF the accident and the work of res
cue of the 80 officers, and men.
1t discloses that it was largely
through the work of the imprisoned
men under the direction of Lieuten-
ant-Commander Charles M. Cooke, Jr.,
that they were saved and that it was
their own desperate efforts and not
a telephone buoy, as first reported
that attracted attention Of the res
,cuing ships. The crew learned that
the stern of their ship was above
water. This supplied ray of hope
and, working as they never worked
before, they gouged a small hole
through the iron hull. To do this
they climbed up the side of the ship
standing at an angle of about sixty
degrees.
Through this hole they thrust a
pole, sailors white undershirt tied
to it, and wigwagged signals of dis
tress which were seen by the steam
ship Alanthus, the first vessel to
pass, II hours later.
The report shows the accident &C.
CURED at p. m. Wednesday, the
boat going to the bottom in 1853 feet
or water. The men worked desper-
ately. Some of the water was ex-
PEELED and the stern rose slowly, but
the storage batteries had been flood
ed. reIp4 sing oh1nrinp fI1n0nS hn
kind of gas released by the Germans
IN the first gas attacks in the world
war.
The sickening fumes drove the crew
batteries flooded they presumably
were forced to work practically in
darkness, aided only by small flash
lights.
They worked in two-mtnute relays
as they could not stand a longer pc
r1ed. The chlorine sank to the bowl
of the ship but there was no fresh
air and the oxygen was rapidly be-
ing exhausted.
Sweating and painting, the men
worked at the hull. 1t was slow work
but finally hole was made and a
thin trickle of fresh air floated in.
Consider saving personnel was
splendid feat. Slightest mistake aft
err accident on the part of officers
would have resulted loss of some or
all" tersely said the Beaver report.
Members of the crew of a destroyer
which arrived at the Philadelphia
navy yard after having been at the
scene Of the disaster declared the ac-
cident was due to negligence on the
part of a member of the crew of the
So. Ofticers would say nothing, re-
ferrlng intervfeWers to Washington.
After large hole had been drilled
in the outstanding stern of the sub
marine by Grace and McWilliams, of
the crew of the General Goethals,
and the submarines men were taken
from their prison, their first request
was for a cigarette.
Every man was wan and pale from
the nearly two days spent in the
Sitting darkness of the sunken hull.
After they had INDUCED in a smoke
they said they were hungry.
During the night SIS broke away
from it's tow and sank, according to
here. After much hard work the
vessel was raised. After a new tow
ing chain has been attached the Jour-
ney was resumed.
Pulling the, partly submerged boat
is slow and arduous task, officials
before Delaware breakwater is
reached.
The Ohio wirelessed to the Phila-
delphia navy yard late today that
1t had been found impracticable to
tow, the damaged submarine. The
able a wrecking concern will be
called upon to save it if possible.
Those on board who were rescued
from the SIS probably will be landed
at Delaware BreakWater.
NAVAL COURT TO PROBE
CAUSES OF ACCIDENT
WASHINGTON, Sept. A naval