The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-27
Gas Explosion Accom-
panies the Accident,
But Cause Is Not Re-
vealed-Vessel Was of
Howlan Type, Built In
1918, and Known AS
the R-6-Rear Torpedo
Tube Lets In Water

Los Angeles, Sept. 27.-Lieut. 1. R.
Chambers, who was in command of
the submarine R-6 is reported to have
been the last man to escape from the
craft when it sank last night in the
outer harbor of San Pedro, with re-
ported 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 floa)
ing timbers. =.
According to story told Dy wit
resses of the accident who were
aboard the tender Camden and the
sister ships, the R-6 was tied up at 6
o'clock last night with two hawsers
binding her to three sister ships and
two hawsers connecting the string of
submarines with the mother ships.
Prior to the disaster, the entire
crew, it was said, was inside the hull
getting torpedoes ready for battle
practice Suddenly the rear torpedo
tube yielded to sea pressure and
opened. Tie vessel began to fill rap
idly and the members of the crew
of the first men to reach the outside
OF the coming tower was seen to cut
the hawser to the other submarines.
Just as the man, believed to be
Spaulsberg, believed to have been
drowned, reached the coming tower
ladder there was what seemed to be a.
gas explosion and the man was
threwn clear of the tower, stream
Z of water following him. The man
,<supposeds to- be y. Deffen, believed to
have been drowned, never reached the
tower ladder and it is believed he
went down with the boat.
The re was of the How:an type
being built in 1918.
Three Believed Drowned
San Pedro, Calf, Sept. 27.-Three
men arc believed to have lost their
lives when the United States sub
marine R-6 sank in the outer harbor
here last night as a result of an un
explained accident, it was stated at
the submarine base here today.
Submarine Sinks
Los Angeles, Cal, Sept. 27.-The
submarine R-6 attached to the Pa
cific fleet and anchored in the outer
harbor at San Pedro, sank at 1890
o'clock last night, according to in
formation received by the Los Angeles
Examiner early today. 1t is believed
the disaster was caused by water
rushing into the submarine through
an open torpedo tube.
Two members of the crew: J. Dref-
fen, seaman and an electrician
named Spaulsberg are believed to
have drowned when the accident oc-
cured.
A landing party from the flagship
California told the Examiner that they
were unable to give detailed account
of the sinking but they believed that
while members of the crew were fill
ing a cylinder with alcohol, the tubes
of the vessel became opened in some
unaccountable manner and she sank
within sixty seconds.
The crew of the re included two
officers and twenty-six men, and ef-
forts are being made to check the ac-
counted for the missing to deter
mine If any more men are lost. Up
4 to midnight no statement had been is
Issued by navy officials. 1t is said the
submarine went down bow first. AS
searchlights from all ships of the fleet
anchored in the harbor were turned
ON the scene of the disaster.
According to the Examiner, execu-
tive officers of the submarine base and
the Pacific fleet were called into a
conference aboard the flagship New
Mexico. Advices regardingthe report,
ed sinking were telegraphed to the
navy department at Washington and
preparations were made for rescue
work.
The R-6 was tied up to the tender
Camden when she sank. That the
death list was not larger and that
only one submarine was involved is
thought to have been due to the pres
ence of mind of one sailor whose
name is not known, who, it is said,
when the, R-6 began to settle, ran up
the forespeak and cut the hawsers
by which the submarine was moored
to the Camden and two other vessels
of type similar to the R-6. Divers
are working feverishly in the hope
that one sailor who is thought to have
been on the striken vessel may still
be alive in the vessel which is rest
ing on the harbor floor under thirty
five feet of water. The belief was ex
pressed that should this man still be
in the R-6 he may be alive providing
he was successful in closing the com.
partments into which the water
rushed through open tubes.
Searching for Bodies
San Pedro, Cal, Sept. H.-Twc
submarines from the base here this
morning were searching the outel
harbor in an attempt to locate the
bodies ef the two members Of ths