Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-09-27
Hope for Submarine
Victims Fades When
Rescue Efforts Fail

| fathoms of water a few miles off Block
Island while men from other ships of
the navy were doing their best to
learn whether any Of the "a men on
board were alive. The submarine was
rammed last night by the Savannah line
steamer City Of Rome. The only mem
bers of the crew Of 81 rescued by the
steamer were three seamen who were
landed in Boston late today, one of them
in bad shape.
Little Hope Held
These three men held out little hope
that their comrades would be found
had been released in the submarine
They owed their escape to the fact that
they were near the coming tower and
floated out. diver sent down from the
U. s. S. Camden reported that he had
been unsuccessful in his attemps to
communicate with the crew of the sub
marine. He found large hole in her
port side, abaft the coming tower The
possibility that the imprisoned men
might survive for considerable time
gave the crews of several naval vessels
on the scene every incentive to speed
up the task of trying to establish COM
munication and make the necessary
preparations for an attempt to raise
the submarine to the surface.
The S-51 came from sea-" said the
graphic report sent by Captain John
Diehl of the City of Rome, with no
side lights showing, was nearly into
ship when side lights were switched on.
Backed full speed but submarine did
not change. Struck forward coming
tower. Submarine sank at once Only
three men saved. Being taken off. All
passengers and crew of Rome OK, Ship
little dented."
In an earlier message Captain Diehl
had said that the submarine went down
at 10:24 o'clock last night, IA miles
from Block Island.
Aid Rushed to Scene
That was all that was known Of the
collision before the City Of Rome was
warped into her berth in the Charles
town district late this afternoon. The
S-51 left the submarine base at New
London, Conn, on September 20 on
practice in command Of Lieut.. Rodney
H. Dobson. The City of Rome, sched-
uled to leave Savannah for Boston on
Monday, was delayed for "a hours and
sailed on Tuesday. On board were 90
passengers.
As soon as word of the collision was
flashed on the air in the early hours of
this morning, naval vessels were hurried
to the scene from every port within
reach. Aircraft also rushed to the res
cue and it was naval seaplane piloted
by Lieut.. Hawkins, which located the
submarine early this afternoon through
air bubbles coming to the surface The
submarine 81 quickly marked the posi-
tion and as soon as possible divers were
sent down.
The three survivors of the submarine
Alfred Ger of New Bedford, were the
first to come ashore.
They were able to walk but one OF
them was said to have been in serious
condition when picked up by the steam
er. because he had been partly over
come by chlorine gas and had con
siderable water in his lungs Another
Of the men also had water in his lungs
cold and was floating on his back when
rescued. All three were wrapped in
blankets and taken to the naval rospi-
tai at Chelsea. They were in their
hunks when the crash came. they said.
Lying nearer the coming tower than
the other members of the crew, they
were floated out into the water
Steamer Keeled Over.
Captain Diehl, after the arrival OF the
whistle, cut his speed and then re-
versed his engines imme1l itely after
sighting the S-51 on his s.arboirl bow
close in.
He asserted tina. the Submarine con-
tried full speed ahead a"c :hc G. /
lision came a second later. The sub
mai inc was hit half way between stem
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