The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-28
CRAFT LIES
~ FEET
IN SEA.

t(Onll1uSQ 1EOIH + list EASS.t
scene of the wreck, is radioing all
developments to Washington and
81 the messages are picked up here
and at Newport.
Inquiries at Newport showed no
message had been sent by Admiral
Christy.
Hope for Quick Work
The arrival of the Monarch. with
probably the most powerful float
ing crane on the Atlantic seaboard.
2 to add its mighty tug to the
strength Of the Century, which can
life 100 tons, gave the rescue
workers hopes that the submarine,
IL there was life aboard, could be
brought to the surface before night
fall
It was realized that IL there are
living men to be saved, the action
must be immediate, as tonight will
ship sunk.
Lieutenant Commander Flanni-
gan, executive officer in charge OF
the naval base here. said that un-
less the two after-compartment
were flooded, 8 lift OF $50 tons
would be sufficient to raise the
submarine.
If the two compartments are
flooded, however, it would be neces-
sary to use pontoons to raise the
ship.
This would be slow and difficult
wurocess, the officer said. However,
II this was necessary because Of the
weiRllt. OF the flooded submarine;
the chances of life aboard her was
remote. 1t would mean that the
u4en were drowned as the subma-
-rine sank.
Pail of Gloom Deepens
Diving crews working under the
direction of a nationally famous
pair of divers had fixed a sling
around the stern OF the S-51. which
lay canted with bow in the sea
floor, stern clear.
Although Admiral Fl. H. Christy
refused to give up hope that some
Of the crew might be found alive,
the pail of gloom everything the
naval base here deepened today.
admiral Christy stated that fail |
ure to lift the submarine on the |
first effort last night was not con- |
elusive evidence that all compart |
rents were filled with water, and /
as long as that was not proven |
there still was a chance there was
life behind the steel walls OF the
S-51.
Each compartment contained
enough oxygen to~6ustain the lives
OF its occupants for twenty-five
hours. had they been able to close
the watertight bulkheads. I
Doubt Tapping Was Heard
Reports that were current last
night that tapping had been heard /
from within the submarine re-
ceived scant support from the ,
naval communication station here.
Lieutenant J. D. Muir. command,
ing officer on duty at the station
early today, said that he had no
knowledge that such tapping had
been heard and that the official
record had taken no notice Of such
reports.
Had there been any encouraging
sound heard. in Justice to the
families Of the men, some official
cognizance of it would have been
taken" Lieutenant Muir said.
The feeling of fading hope which
oyerhung the naval base here was
reflected Unofficial circles by the
AnCL THAT Out TWO messages were re-
ceived from Admiral Christy yester-
day, although he stubbornly chung to
the belief that life might still exist
In the sunken craft.
Buddies Losing Hope
The buddies Of the men who went
down with the s-51 felt hope give
away to fear when Sundays ef-
forts brought no certain word of a
tapped answer to the tread of the
lead-soled divers shoes on the shell
Of the submarine
Two OF the greatest divers in the
world, w. F. Loughman, from the
naval base at Iona Island, and
Clarence L. Tibbals, OF Pittsburgh,
were the team leading the under
sea workers responsible for fixing
the sling under the submarines
stern and making the lines ready
Tor the lift.
These were the divers who di-
rected the work OF bringing the
Iuckless F-4 to the surface when
she sank off Honolulu in 1915.
The sympathy of the entire naval
base goes out to the homes of
mourning" where wait the wives Of