New Britain herald., 1920-09-04
INTAKE VALVE CAUSE
 OF SUB s 5 SINKING
Failed to Work in Practice Dive
 End Sticking Out of Water
MEN FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES

Hole In End of Inflated Submarine
 Had roie Sticking Out to Attract
 Attention - Men Hungry Artcr
 Smoking Cigarettes.
 Philadelphia. Sept 4.-The U. s. rupmarine S-5 went to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean off Cape HcnIopen because large air intake valve failed to close when the sub made n practice dive. in ravy parlance. crash dive There were 3s officers and enlisted men aboard.
 omciaI Report.
 This was revealed today in the of- hcihl report Of tho accident made by the commander of the destroyer Beaver. Tho Ecnver Is standing by tho battieship Ohio. which today is towing tho ili-fated submarine to the Delaware bretkv Eter, creeping along about three miles m hour. Nothing has been heard by naval authoities late this morning of the movements of tho Ohio. but it is expected the fiotilln will arrive at the Breakwlter 90 miles down the Delaware from Philadelphia latstoday
 Briefly. but revealing t1a desperate plight of the imprisoned men. the Beavers report tells of the accident and the work Of rescue.
 Imprisoned Men HcrocS.
 ft discloscs that it was largely through the work of the imprisoned men under tho direction of Lieut.. Commander Charles NJ. Cooke. Jr., that they were saved and that it wns their own desperate efforts and not a telephone buoy, as first reported, that attracted attention Of the res cuinr ships. The crew learned that tho stern of their ship was above water This supplied n ray of hope md. working as they never worked before they EouEed small hoIe through tho Iron hull. To do this They climbed up the side of the ship HtandIng at an angle Of about 60 de- green.
 Tndcrshirt on poIc.
 Through .his hole they thrust a pole, sailors ,wtite undershirt tiod to 10, and wig-waEgcd signals of dis tress which were seen by the steamer Alanthus, the first vessel to pass. s7 .hours lator Beavers Report. The report of the Beaver shows that the accident occurred at p m. We'd 'nesday. With the boat at the bot tom In ieo feet of water. the men worked desperately. some Of tho water was expelled and the stern rose slowly. but the storage batteries had been flooded. releasing chlorine fumes the same gas that was re- leased from tanks by the Germans fin their first gas attacks in the world war. The siekeninE fumes drove the crew from the compartments. With the Batteries flooded. they presumably werc forced to work practically In darknesa. aided only by small flash IliEhts.
 Two Minute Relays. The men worked in two minute re- |lays, They could not stand it for a IhnEer period. Trc chlorine sank to the bowl of the ship. but there was no fresh air and the oxygen was rap Itdiy being exhausted.
 Sweating and panting. the men worked at the hull. 10 was slow work. but finally hole was made and a |thin triekie of fresh air fioated in. "CYnsider saving personnel was |spiendid feat. Slightest mstake after |sccident on part Of officers would lhave resulted tn loss of some or aIi," fersely said the Beaver report. Who Is to Blnmc. Members of tho crew of n destroyer |whtch arrived at the Philadelphia |nayy yard after having been at the s4ccne Of tho disaster declared the ac- rident wns due to negligence on the part of q member Of the crew of the .S-5. Officers would say nothing, TO- IrerrinE interviewers to Washington. All Saved. After large hole had been drilled n the upstandir x stern of the sub |vnarine by Grace and McWiIlinn1s of |fhc General Goethals. and the men lwere taken from their prison. the first bequest of all was for a cigarette. Every man was wan and pale from the nearly two days spent in the sti- Hing darkness Of the sunken hull yAftor they had indulged in a smoke fhey said they were hungry. l