The Washington times., 1920-09-05
.CREWSCOFFS
AT S-5 ORDEAL
Men Taken From Sunken Sub
marine Grow Angry AT
Hero Stuff"


PHILADELPHIA. Sept 5.--Regret
that their experience of being under
water for forty-two hours without
food. light or fresh air. and assailed
with chlorine fumes had been de-
scribed as anything TO worry about.
was the chief sentiment expressed by
members OF the crew OF Submarine
So. when they arrived at the Phila-
delhia navy yard. at $3.50 last night,
aboard the Destroyer Biddle.
"Scsre the folks back home, will
you?" yelled a seaman, wrathfully.
from the destroyer. as soon as the
vessel came within hailing distance
OF pier number 5.
A few minutes later. three OF the
thirty,six men were brought feet first
down the gangplank and placed In an
ambulance. They were taken TO the
hospital, because of the effects OF the
bad air and chlorine fumes. which
may cause pneumonia. They were:
Joseph o. Savage, OF Eleco, Pa: Jacob
Akers. jr., of Warnecliffe. w. Va, and
| Roberto Ignades. of Ponte Vedra
Cspiz. Philippine Islands.
TIE crew lined up for muster. and
after "A few interruptions caused by
newspaper flashlights were marched
of to the submarine base at the yard,
where they were given food, and
turned in.
The FOOD and the sleep were well
come. After the enforced fast of the
men in the wrecked subme rsible. they
were slow in regaining their appe-
tites.
The "ps jority OF the men took the
catastrophe, which nearly cost them
their lives, as joke apparently
| ntxNxtinpS rdinD ha ne q
were laughed aside. and any hint of
the hero stuff Immediately met with
a blank stare.
| Captain Cooke was the only one OF
the personnel of the S-5 who did not
arrive at the yard tonight. He re
mained behind for the naval court OF
| inquiry.
Lieut.. Charles NJ. Grisham. who
climbed over the machinery in the
engine bulkhead, where most of tho
| thirty-seven men were imprisoned
came in for enthusiastic praise from
the men.
PRAISES CHIEF ENGINEER.
The officers in their turn gave a
clean bill of health to the crew. They
| denied there was any signs OF panic
or any weakening on the part OF any
OF the men. Navy discipline survived
in the face OF death. and the tradi.
tions of the officers was upheld in
putting morale into their men.
THE men were splendid" said En-
sign j. B. Langstan of ONeill. Neb,
They did not even get excited, and
not one of them weakened"
Ensign Langstaf was subject to
| the same laconic style Of narrative
that belonged to all the survivors
He had little to say of the activities
o fthe officers. who bored for life and
freedom from inside the boat, but
told with admiring gratitude of the
chief engineer, W. X. Grace, of the
Goethals who worked steadily with
n ratchet drill on the exterior of the
! hull for eight hours before finally a
large hole was made through which
the crew could be sent, and then him.
self fell exhausted.
The ensign's narrative will do as
" ell as any other. None of the Of
| ficers or men were in the mood for eN-
tended spinning of tales when they
| stepped from the destroyer with their
duffle bags and stood breathing the
oxygen for which few hours before
| they would have staked their chance
of salvation.
1t was | o'clock Wednesday after
noon when the crew got ready to take
| the crash" dive, according to Lang
staff. That was to be one Of the tests
of their seventy-two o>hour run to New
! Haven At o'clock the dive was
| started. The submerging machinery
worked a shade in advance of the
time the engines stopped running.
| The air intake valve which feeds tho
| engines cannot be closed until the
! engines are stopped.
| The latter stopped when the subma
rine was a little under the surface.
with the result that water was forced
| into the air intake and il jammed.
| This was in the forward compart-
ment and the added water was sur
| fcient to drive the vessel firmly into
| the mud, thirty fathOms. or about $50
| feet down. Immediately the bulk
| head was closed. and the water, which
| always is carried to help in submerg
| ing, was forced out elsewhere in the
submarine. but without the usual ef-
feet of causing her to rise to the sur
| face.
WATER CREATES GAS.
| Soon the salt water, which had af-
| fected the batteries, generated chlor-
| inc. This necessitated sealing up the
mems quarters, then the officers
quarters and mess room, leaving
nothing open but the engine and the
steering gear compartments. In thes-
the men were huddled, Langstan said,
At 8 o'clock that night Captain
Cooke commenced his laborious work
with hand drill, driven by the
knowledge that the air in these two
compartments would soon be unit 20
breathe. Some water had been let in
even as preparation for the work OF
| boring, for several valves had been
opened to find a spot which was
above water. This was found to be
on the top side about thirty feet
from the stern-the boat is 325 feet
over all.
From time to time the officers. In
| order to maintain the morale of the
men, released some of the compressed
air in the remaining compartments
and also opened the oxygen tanks
| though they realized virtually nc
benefit was to be derived from these
| acts.
At 2 o'clock hole three inche,
wide had been cut through the. coa'
of the sub nersible. A few trickle,
of air came in.
Shortly after this. the captain saw
two steamers pass in plain sight
Neither saw the protruding stern oi