Evening star., 1924-11-09

the hremen who stood on the deck
| and handed down fire eEtinguishers,
TOOK their lives in their aands. The
submarine was three-quarters sub
merged and those who were inside
the hull would have met with a hor-
rible death had an explosion ensued,
while there was imminent peril OF the
vessel sinking at any moment
One of the first problems that had
| to be met was the closing off of the
various sections of the submarine
from those compartments in which
! the greatest danger lurked. One of
! the naval officers on the scene pointed
| out that the water-tight bulkhead
doors leading to the central control
| room and the aft battery room, which
| was on fire, were OPEN also that the
| central control room and the anmu-
| milton room and the forward battery
| room were also open and connecting
with each other. 1t was necessary
that the forward ba reries. which
were discharging into the aft bat
teries, should be disconnected.
| This naval officer Mr.. Keelmaster
| and Fireman James Smith of Rescue
Company No. l, put on respirators
and went down the coming tower
hatch, arriving by the two connecting
| ladders, at the central control room.
The various compartmen Mt doors were
tiOoCu' tidBIptu lieilt, cutting OIL IHs
central control room, the ammuni-
tion room and the forward battery.
Attempts were then made to close the
water-tight bulk head door connect
ing the aft battery and the central
control room, but this could not b.
done owing to the smoke and heat
The small diameter of the hatchway
! prevented the firemen from getting
| down.
A few firemen, who were equipped
| with masks, managed to reach the
central control room. but in attempt
| ing to close the aft battery water
| tight bulkhead found that this was
held open by wreckage from the ex
plesion. Firemen Smith was over
| come during this work. but after =
| minute rest managed to reach the
| ammunition compartment of the sub
| marine, and succeeded in passing UP
the ammunition to other members of
| the company on deck. Under suprem"
difficulties the engine room was fin
ally reached and the firemen sue
ceeded in making fast a rope around
the body of the naval officer who
had been overcome, and he was
| brought TO the deck.
x x ::
IN extinguishing this fire the main
reliance had to be placed on the
| contents of small fire extinguishcr.
| The most natural water supply would
have been salt water. to flood the
various compartments. but this could
not be used. as it would have gener
ated chlorine gas and the electric
| condition would have caused explos-
ions. Fresh water had to be used in
| order to dilute the batteries in the
| submarine. A rather weird condi-
+, ton was found in the fact that the
mass of broken wires leading down
into the bottom of the submarine.
which was partly filled with water.
| caused this water to boil, and an
! electrical condition was developed
| which was peculiarly dangerous.
Naval officers expected the sub
marine to blow up. Admiral Me
| Donald established a sentry line 25a
| feet away from the submarine in
every direction, no one but fremen
and naval officers being permitted
! near her Work had to be done by
| frenlen in the most cramped posi-
| tions. Those inside the vessel literal
| ly crawled on their stomachs and
! fought the fire with small hand cx-
tinguishers, which were rapidly pass
| ed down to them by a chain of fire
| men. the empty extinguishers being
| passed back.
The above mentioned work, owing
to the great difficulties faced by the
| fremen, occupied about 2ta hours,
! during which the firemen were ex-
posed to the most serious personal
peril. Naval Lieut.. Comdr. English,
accompanied by Fire Lieut.. Blessing,
and Fireman Smith. Donehue, and
Clarke. descended frequently through
the coming tower of the vessel dur
| ing the most perilous time. Ffremen
| Kilbride, Mayr and Ryan also did cx
| cellent work on this occasion.
! A statement of Rear Admiral Me
| Donald of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is
| worthy of mention as showing the
dangers involved and the bravery Of
the firemen:
"The heat of the burning material,
| as we'll as numerous small explosions
| of hydrogen gas from the batteries
| rendered the work performed ex-
I tremely dangerous to the men. at
| work owing to the fact that either
| the explosions of the hydrogen gas
| or the heat from the fire within the
| submarine might have detonated the
explosives there at any time during
the entire period that this work was
| being performed.
| The members OF the Fire Depart
ment were acquainted with these
| facts and performed the work with
| full knowledge of the risk assumed
Copyright, 1924)