Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-12
4S8 navy M|SHAPS
COST LIVES Of 222!'.
8 Year Record, CIimaxed BY
Loss Of S-51 and Explosion,
Points TO "Jynx."
Dy consoiid Press.

ny Consolidated Press.
NEW YORK, July 12.--Lake last
Saturday afternoon, awed and silent
crowds were peering into the Balvaged
United States Submarine S-61--the
tomb OF SO American sailors. As they
looked there was a blast less than
40 miles away and death and ruin
again had visited the Navy with the
destruction Of the naval ammunition
depot at Lake Denmark. near Dover,
N. j.. and another roll OF still unac-
counted dead.
With scarcely pause, malevolent
powers still dog Uncle Sans sea
forces. The sinking of the S.5i was
the elimination Of appalling series Of
disasters In the Navy. During the pre-.
ceding three years surface vessels,
aircraft and submarines had suffered
4S8 accidents. costing 222 lives.
Strange stories Of o ''jynx,a bird Of
ill-omen perching on every fighting
top-haye been whispered in the fore.
castle in officers quarters.
/ Record Of Three Years.
Exclusive OF Saturdays holocaust
and q series of similar explosions
which have rocked the state OF New
Jersey since the war, the Nays
record of the last three years II as
follows:
Branch Accidents Lives Lost
s surfaes s,n. = = g g
Aircraft 463 30
Totals ass y 222
While the United States Navy has
always been known as e hard luck
sea force. the story Of cumulative Ill
fortune reached its climax In the
years following the World War. II
reached its climax with the series Of
disasters beginning with the loss Of
the rigid airship Shenandoah. The
commander and IL OF the crew perish
ed in the wreck of the ship over Ava,
Ohio. September 8 Of last year.
Eyil Forces Strike Again.
on September Z, an explosion in the
boiler room OF the destroyer Noa took
four lives. The Ssh went down on
September rs. On october 25. 8 sea-
planes were lost at Baltimore and IL
more partially wrecked. The evil
forces waited until the dead Of the
Ssh were taken from their tomb.
Then they struck again.
These are recent and climatic hor-
LVkS 81 aH opknAAAAS 1@AStaAoA ~ As1o
fortune.
The year 1928 was an Inflated year.
An avalanche Of trouble started with
the ramming of the destroyer Zeilen
by the transport Henderson In thick
fog In Admiralty Inlet on July %. No
lives were lost. but from then on there
was lynx" in the crows nest. The
years 1923, 1924 and 1926 were regard
ed as the red letter years for acci.
dents In The Navy. But 1925 has now
challenged this record with the most
appalling disaster Of all.
On August 20, 1928, the submarines
RS and R-11 collided at Pearl Harbor.
Hawaii, a. the result OF confusion in
signals There was rejoicing over the
fact that no lives were lost, but this
rejoicing was dissipated on September
8 by the news that % officers and men
had been killed. and that seven de-
strOyers were a total lost near Point
Areueilo, Calf. They grounded while
.naneuyering in heavy fog on q
rocky and dangerous coast. Al naval
courtanartiaI found the disaster was
due to bad navigation.
Ramming IL Days Later.
j Eleven days later, on September 10.
the destroyer Mcfarland was rannmed
by the battleship Arkansas. during
night maneuvers of the heet. Good
seamanship prevented loss Of life and
saved the. Mcfarland. While this
news was still fresh came the story
OF the sinking Of the submarine Os5
in Limon Bay, Panama. She was run
down by the freighter Abangarese.
Five lives were lost.
During the remainder OF the year,
the evil fates OF the Navy turned their
attention to aircraft. The annual re-
port Of the chief, Of the Bureau Of
Aeronautics lists the number Of air.
craft crashes for that year At 112.
with q loss OF az lives, serious I'M
juries and rs minor injuries to flying
personnel.