Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-24

Prosaic once, immortal now, has
been the fate of S-51, the name by
which was known~the submarine that
was rammed in the dark by the
steamer City of Rome. Manned by
brave men, it plunged to the depths of
the ocean. and by brave men it was
resurrected, that it might add another
chapter to the glorious annals OF the
American Navy. The press of the
country finds those who went down
with the ship and those who, after
months of heart-breaking toll. rescued
it from its grave heroes all.
American sailors have again pre-
served the traditions of the sea Tor
coming generations of men who man
the ships" SAYS. the Charlotte OBJ
server. as it pictures how ''up from
the mire of the oceans depths, has
been raised all that remained of Is
seamen who went to their death ana
were buried within the cold, wet walls
of a, sunken submarine. For months
these rescuers of the bodies OF the
heroic dead labored that the sea might
be cheated in the end continues the
Observer. 'JTnder the bronze chests
heat great hearts such as men OF the
sea, have, and up from the waves came
mute appeals from fellow craftsmen
claimed by the deep. Such is tne
spirit of quiet understanding that
binds sailor men as one"
The grip that this story has taken
upon the hearts of the people of the
Nation is expressed thus by the Can
ton Daily News: Not in all the
events of recent days, not even IN the
ventures of men into unknown lands,
with all their dangers, has there beeh
ANYTHING so appealing to the sym
pathy and the imagination or people
as the successful effort of the men OF
the United States Navy to rescue the
bodies of their comrades" The Kan
sas City Journal calls the accomplish
ment a ''herculean feat" ana the
Columbus Ohio State Journal declares
that "the salvage efforts on BLOCK
Island are reminiscent of the pest ira
ditions of the American Navy.
X * x x
Describing the problem that had to
be faced, the Fort Wayne News-Sen-
tinel explains that 'the wreck lay
submerged in 100 feet of water on a
soft bottom and settled deep in the
oozy sand. Divers went down, bur-
rowed their way through the SANDY
slime beneath the boat and slipped
hawsers under her keel. Work ike
that means playing with DEATH, says
the News Sentinel, and its successful
result Stands today as one OF tne
greatest engineering feats in the ms.
tory of the Navy" Adding it's need
of praise, the Lansing Capital News
declares that "the officers who had
the salvaging in charge are to be con-
graduated for their GOODNESS and good
Judgment, and the enlisted personnel
who assisted in the exploit deserve all
credit for high personal valor."
Seemingly impatient to get to the
surface with the tale she had to tell,
the submarine herself almost set at
naught all the work that had Deen
done by sticking her nose above the
surface prematurely. OF this the
Springfield Union observes that only
the cool courage of the sailors, work
ing in a tumultuous sea, prevented
the complete failure of the effort.
When the hulk was finally made
fast at the dry dock in the Brooklyn
Navy Yard it was revealed that the
rescued dead were worthy of their
living rescuers, as had been expected.
mo monument that can be erected,
no service that may be held, will be
so impressive as the announcement of
how the bodies were found" says the
Peoria Transcript, recording how "the
men gave up their lives at their posts
of duty" As the Pasadena Star-News
pictures it, when investigation was
made of the hull in dry dock, the
mute but eloquent witnesses were
there of heroic action in the face OF
death-men at their places, ready to
do or die, as Fate decreed."
The ST. Joseph News-P Press, moved
by the revelations of heroism. asserts
that .'in the pages of fiction the reve-
lations of the Ssh would be regarded
as descriptions of impossible condi.