The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-27
REPORT TWO
WENT DOWN
IN SUB R-6
Craft Sinks in San Pedro
Harbor Result of Unex-
planned Accident Divers
Trying to Fix Hausers.
SAVE SISTER VESSEL
(By Associated Press)


SAN PEDRO, Cal. Sept 27-only
two men lost their lives wnen the
submarine re sank in Los Angeles
harbor last night. it was officially an
nounced today by Rear Admiral Her
man o. Stickney, commander of the
Pacific fleet train, and an eye witness
of part of the disaster
A third man who was missing and
who for a time was thought a possible
victim of the accident has been ac-
counted for together with all other
officers and men of the submarine.
Divers were working in 35 feet of
water this morning alongside the Re
endeavoring to fix hausers to the
craft, which would make it possible
to raise her to the surface.
It was possible, according to naval
men, that anyone inside might have
escaped to an alright compartment
in which life might be sustained for
As hours.
LOS ANGELES, Cal, Sept 81
Lieutenant |. E. Chambers, who was
in command of the submarine RS. is
reported to have been the last man to
make an escape from the craft when
| it sank late last night in the outer
harbor at San Pedro, with a reported
loss of two members of the crew.
After Lieut.. Chambers left the sub
marine he Immediately began to aid
members of the crew unable to swim
to get to lifeboats and pieces of float
| ing timbers.
According to story told by wit
nesses of the accident who were
aboard the tender Camden and the
| sister ships, the Re was tied up at 5
o'clock last night with two hawsers
/ binding her to three sister ships and
and two hawsers connecting the
strings of submarines with the mother
| ship
| Prior to the disaster the entire
crew, it is said, was inside the hull
getting torpedoes ready for battle
practice. Suddenly the rear torpedo
tube apparently yielded to sea pres
sure and opened. The vessel began
to fill rapidly and the members of
the crew rushed for the coming tow
er. One of the first men to reach the
outside of the submarine was seen to
cut the hawsers, releasing the other
submarines.
Gas ExpIodes
Just as the man. believed to have
been Spalsburg, who was reported
drowned. reached the coming tower
/ ladder. there was what seemed to be
gas explosion, and it is said the
man was thrown clear of the tower. a
stream of water following him. The
man believed to have been j. Dreffan.
reported drowned, never reached the
tower ladder. it is said, and he is be-
| lieved to have gone down with the
boat
The Rs was of the Holland type.
built in 1918. Lieutenants S. Il. Jutt
and J. M. Steel were junior officers.
A leading party from the f1agskip
| New Mexico, told the Examiner that
they were unable to give detailed ac-
count of The sinking, but they believed
that while members of the crew were
filling a cylinder with alcohol, +he
tubes of the vessel became opened in
some unaceountable manner and she
sank within so seconds
Checking Personnel
4 The crew of the Re included %
officers and men and efforts are being
made to check the accounted for and
the missing to determine if any more
men were lost. Up to midnight no
statement had been issued by navy
officials.
. 1t is said that the submarine went
down bow first. AS soon as the alarm
, was sounded searchlights from all
ships of the fleet lying at anchor ir
|. the harbor were turned onto the
scene of the disaster
According to the Examiner, execu
tive officers of the submarine base and
the Pacific feet were immediately
called into a conference aboard the
flagship New Mexico. Advices regard
ing the reported sinking were tele
graphed to the navy department al
Washington and preparations wer,
made for rescue work.
Admiral Eberle who at present is il
San Diego, was notified of the acci
dent and it is expected that he will re
turn Immediately to San Pedro thi!
morning TO attend a meeting of ;
: court of inquiry which will be hell
! to investigate the sinking of the YES
sci.
, The re was tied up to the tende
Camden when she sank