New Britain herald., 1925-09-28
It. Com. Flanigan at New London Places Blame Squarely Upon Steamer City of Rome-Criticizes "Lubberly" Handling of Vessel After Crash.

New London, Sept. 2S tPl-When informed by The Associated Press as he came on duty early today, five owners of the City of Rome had on file an affidavit which stated that the S-5l, sunk 14 miles east of Block Island Friday night by that steamer, was commanded by student officers, Lieutenant Commander II. A. Flant- gan, executive officer at the sub marine base here, denied that any one of the officers on the submarine at the time of the disaster was in- experienced.
 Lieutenant Commander Flanigan, in the following statement to The Associated Press explains the work ot the submarine school, and gives detailed information concerning the six officers aboard the S-51 at the time of the collision:
 Explains Training Work
 "The submarine training school for officers Is established for the purpose of giving all officers detail- cd instruction in submarine before they are permanently transferred to submarine duty.
 "The students of the present class range from Lieut.. Commander F. w.. Srothcr with 21 years naval service, the ensigns of the class of 1923 with six months naval service in cludjng four years at the neval academy.
 "No officer may enter the sub marine school who has had less than two years sea service since his grad nation from the naval academy and all officers, no matter what their rank or experience must go through the submarine school before being ordered to permanent duty on sub marines. In the last two years captains, commanders and lieutenant commanders have been students at the school, as well as licutcnants Lieut.. Pants (J.G) and onsigns.
 All Were Qualified
 "That the team student officers Is used in describing the officers of the school may have been misleading but 1t should he understood thor . oughly that they are simply students : of marine duties and not of thei1
 general service duties. All tho off
 cers who were on the U. s. S-51 q
 the time she was sunk were full,
 qualified in surface ship duties an( . to stand watch as officers,
 "In addition three of the six off cers had considerable submarine eX rerience and the other three had al ready had two months training fl 5 submarines,
 RIamcs "City of Rome" "At the time that the S-5l wa ) sunk she was operating as a surfac t vessel and there Is no doubt in ou
 minds that responsibility for the col lision rests solely on the shoulders c r the City of Rome" From the re - ports of her officers our preser n knowledge Of the collision and in
 statements of passengers, as report }. ed to us, 1t is clear that the City S Rome either:
 e I-Assumpd that she was nee { Ing a small commercial vess e which could be robbed Of her rlgl
 of way by the larger passenger ve
 sell or:
 "2-That the officers on watch
 City of Rome incompetently failC f to recognize that the two vesse
 were drawing dangerously close ul l. til 1t was too late for the City a Rome to take the proper moves Ie yield to the S-51 her right of W; y due to the relative positions of il n two vessels or took the wrong mea K ures when 1t was seen that collisiC d. was imminent.
 s. There Is no evidence to show
 reason to believe that the officers
 the S-51 did not handle their ves'
 properly as was expected of office 70 Of their training and experience. ty is undoubtedly true that the luhhe i'd nv handling of the City of Ror O. after the collision, the failure of h
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