Evening star., 1924-11-09

made fast, the rescue was eventually
made and the mans life was saved.
Capt. Gebhard had to be removed TO
g hospital as his lungs were affected
by the severe punishment they had
received from the smoke and the
odors of the burning war supplies.
This rescue was performed not only
at great actual danger from the fire
and fumes, but from the possibility
of explosions. The fact that Capt.
Gebhafd insisted upon descending in
to the hold a second time showed
the indomitable spirit which actual ed
this officer in the performance of his
difficult task. A man of less grit
than Gebhard might have been salts
fed with the equally brave attempt
which he made in the first instance.
1t should also be noted that several
previous attempts had been made
by other firemen before Gebhatd un-
dertook the work.
Mention should be made in describ-
ing this rescue OF Fireman Dreiand
Capt. John J. eastman and Fire
man William Whalen, who assists ed
in the work OF locating Fireman
kunde. 1t was the cooperative ac-
tivity OF these men that rendered the
rescue a euccess.
ID ESCU1NG people from fires or
IN board ordinary vessels Is suffi
ciently difficult, but this is compare
lively simple in Comparison with thu
problems involved In fire on a sub.
marine. A few years ago the sub.
marine "O-5" was lying at Pier IL
United States navy yard, Brooklyn
when an explosion occurred in tn,
aft battery compartment. Severa
men were injured, and a few of these
had been rescued before the arriva
OF Rescue Company No. Of the Fire
Department. How many persons
were still on the burning vessel wa,
not known.
rescue company, Deputy Fire Chiet
O'Hara and Battalion Chief Kirk o,
the 3lst battalion, had entered the
hull of the submarine through the af'
hatch and had reached the batter,
platform. They made an attempt tc
| reach the imprisoned persons. bu
were driven to the deck by series o,
explosions. They then attempted tc
enter the hull through the coming
tower hatch. Entrance by this wa,
was cut off by dense fumes anc
smoke.
A further means Of entrance wa.
tried through the torpedo compart
ment. but explosions were constantly
occurring. and the dense smoke caused
by the burning of insulated wire, and
the intense heat drove the rescuer.
back. 1t was said that the explosion:
were caused by chlorine gas comine
in contact with the electric wires
charged with 500 volts This ga.
had been formed by the mixture ol
sulphufic acid and salt water used ir
the wet batteries
A highly dangerous condition al
this fire consisted in the fact thai
red-hot electric wires, caused by
short-circuiting and the burning of
of the insulation, led through the
loaded magazines. which contained q
considerable quantity of smokeless
sive known as INT. There was a
quantity of gun cotton in the com
partment. Eight torpedoes of the
largest type, ready for actioh with
their war heads on, were also In the
vessel.
The door of the main hull leading
into the torpedo compartment had
been blown open by the first ex-
plosion and was so warped that il
could not be used. This torpedo COM
partment was 50 charged with heat
thdt IL was Impossible TO tOuCh the
steel Jackets of the torpedoes with
the bare hand.
Admiral Mcdonald. who, together
with other naval officers, was present
at the fire, warned that il one of the
torpedoes let go the effect would be
disastrous. An official report to the
fire department., in this connection
stated that their failure to go off car
only be explained by saying that il
was in the nature of a miracle, fol
the heat of the compartment or any
one of the frequent explosions was
sufficient to detonate the torpedees.
A TTEMPTS to rescue the iinprison
"A ed persons were extremely diff
cult, due to the fact that access to the
fire was obtained only by descending
through very small apertures in the
hull of the submarine, these openings
not being more than 81 inches ir
diameter. The fire had to be Tough,
mainly by means of chemical exttn-
guishers, charged with carbon tetfa
chloride, as water could not be
thrown on certain of the electric
equipment for fear of causing g
short circuit, which would have re.
suited in several explosions. follow
ing the first one, which had caused
the death of Ensign n. J. Sharkey.
Space on submarine is extremely
cramped, and everyone who descended
ipfo the hull of fhis veecel and even