New Britain herald., 1926-04-20
Submersible Being Pre-
 pared For Departure
 To Sea When Main Battery Compartment Blows Up At 7:45 O'Clock This Morning.
Victims Hurled With Ter rife Force Against Steel Hull of Vessel-Broken Arms and Legs and Frac- tured Skulls Constitute Major Injuries.
By The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press.
 New London, Conn.,, April 20.-Twelve members of the crew of the United States sub marine S-49 were seriously in- Jured, several of them probably fatally, when a battery in the main battery compartment blew up at 7:45 o'clock this morning, as the craft, moored at the submarine base was being prepared for departure to sea. Naval officials declined to reveal the nature of the in- ]urles of the men, but it is known that all of them sus- tatned broken arms and legs and possibly internal injuries.
 List of Injured Men.
 The injured;
 Mathie Timothy Greenyille, ouar. master, first class, i5 Middle stree, Saco, Maine.
 Theodore Hoist. Jr., chief boat. ! swain's made, l29 Monument street. Groton, Conn. a.#..
 Frederick France Horn. boat. swain's mate, second class, 947 Wal. nut street, treeand, Penna.
 Daniel Ford, seaman. first class. lS0 Bennington street, East Boston Mass.
 Sylvester Erie Matlock, fireman second class, POS State street. Charleston Illinois.
 Ollit J. Cooke, seaman. first class, Danville, Virginia.
 Claire Daniel FeIlds, eleotrician's mate, first class, 1S Pine street, Reno, Nevada.
 Francis Leo Conway, torpedo man. second class, 20 Dinley street, Dracut, Mass.
 Ralph Edward Mccormack, Eun- ners mate, 51 Prospect street. West Lynn, Mass.
 Gustave Vernon Johnson, chief electricians mate, 129 Monument street, Groton.
 Bernard Leslie sloggett, torpedo man, first class. FPS Jefferson ave nue, New London.
 Basil S, Morris, fireman, third class, S6 Oak street. Ashevilie, N. U,
 Johnson, Sloggett and Morris are suffering from minor injuries and gas, while the others are all in srr- ious condition. Greenyille, with probably fractured skull. and other injuries, Is expected to die, and the condition Of several others is ex- tremely critical
 Just Finished Breakfast
 The men had just finished break fasting in the compartment, and were engaged in putting the dishes away when the explosion occurred. They were hurled against the over head deck and bulkhoads by the tre- mendous concussion, and pipe it. tings, and other metal odds and ends scattered about the compartment The batteries are located below decks and with the explosion, the steel plates of the flooring blew upwards, tlattoning the men against the top of the compartment
 Terrific Explosion
 The blast was heard throughout the reservation, and the S-S. lying on the opposite side of tho pier rocked under the force Of the concussion, Members Of the crew Of the S-s rushed across the pier 10 tho aid of their stricken mates. and upon opea- ing the deck hatch leading to the battery compartment. were greeted with dense clouds of hydrogen Egls. The gas rapidly found it's way through the S-49, and from all of the after hatches. the members of tue crew poured, coughing the gas out of their lungs. There were forty men aboard when the explosion occurred.
 Financial Loss Heavy
 The battery room of the S-4a. where the explosion occurred, Is lo- cated behind the torpedo room, the foremost compartment, and forward Of the control room. which is ii. roctly under the coming tower. Tas battery room contains two sets oi storage batteries. each containing sixty cells The entire battery of G cells is valued st approNimat Y S1S0,o0o, large propoI tion of which is probably loss.
 The cells are stored beneath the deck Of the compartment. Each is covered with a thin piece of deck 3, The whole area covered with a Of tarpaulin, The crews nosi conmodious living quarters are s- eated directly above this deck, r tiers of pipe ber,hS line the Nails both sides, and thu mess tables benches probably tu the middis e, the compartment at the time Of i. explosion, although they may hass
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