Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18

Francis !. Ford of TIA Euclid street,
and another sister, Miss Ida j. Ford
Of Bisbee. Ariz. When Mr.. Ford left
for the submarine inspection work
Sunday, he informed MS family he eX-
pected to he back in Washington
December -.
The Navy Department last night
ordered several naval vessels to steam
Al fun speed from New London and
from the Portsmouth Navy Yard 10
aid in the rescue operations, the most
important among them being the L..
$. (. Falcon. which is peculiarly
adapted to submarine rescue work.
A message was received by the De
partment a little before midnight in
diCating that the naval divers when
they start the rescue work today will
have an oil slick" to guide them to
the place where the S-4 lies. The
message was as follows:
Following intercepted from the L,
s. s. Wandank to commander sub
marine division four 81 sunk. 1872
degrees from Wood End Light, Prov
incetown distance 1900 yards, 102
feet of water Have placed buoys.
Oil slick in sight. Nothing else.
"(Signed) Commander Destroyer
Force, New London"
The Wandank is at the scene of the
disaster.
Boats Are Standing By.
The Coast Guard headquarters here
were informed from the station at
New London that the boats of that
division OF the Coast Guard, including
four deStroyers, were cruising in the
vicinity of the collision. ready to give
every possible assistance.
Admiral Hughes. chief of naval
operations, remained on the job until
an early hour this morning. He was
of the opinion that the trapped men
could live from one to five days. He
was hopeful that the hull of the Sub-
marine could be stood on end, if nee
essary. and punctured, so that the men
may leave from the tip sticking out
of the water
Admiral Hughes ordered the Boston
Navy Yard to dispatch divers to the
scene, directing that they descend to
the sunken vessel and tap the sides in
the hope of receiving signals from the
men inside.
Orders went forward from Secretary
Wilbur to Vice Admiral Ashley II.
Robertson, commander of the scouting
fleet whose flagship, the battleship
Wyoming, is at Philadelphia, to dis
patch to the scene whatever cruisers
and destrOyers under his command
he thinks may be of use. The aircraft
tender Wright was ordered to Prov
incetoWn from Norfolk. Admiral
Hughes was of the opinion that little
could be done toward raising the
S.4 before dawn today kilograms
were sent by Admiral Hughes to the
next of kin of all men believed to
4 he wi,
ing them Of the disaster. The
customary words of sympathy were
omitted and the relatives We're in
formed that they would he kept ad
vised as to future developments.
S-5l Disaster Recalled.
Immediately upon receipt OF the
news of the disaster at the Navy De-
partment yesterday. clerks were sum
moned from their homes to the de-
partment to prepare the crafts
muster role. AT Coast Guard head
quarters there was a similar activity
First reports at this Office were
nea ger. indicating that the PaudinG
thought she had Iammed the 81, and
that she had made PrOVincetoWn
harbor with her hold full of water.
Naval officers here regard the sink
ing Of the S-4 as the worst disaster
in the Navy since the S-5l was sunk
in September 1925. They said it
would be impossible to estimate how
long the men might live in the sub
marine on the bottom of the ocean
until it could be established what
reserve air there was in the vessel
when she went down. This, they
said, was difficult because the Sd
was running beneath the surface at
the time she was struck. If she had
been submerged for some time they
said it was probable she was rum
ming short of air.
The Navy Department was in
formed that the captain of the Pauld-
ing did not know the submarine was
near until her periscope was sighted
off the port bow,
Lieut.. comdr. Roy Keller Jones,
the commanding officer of the S4, !
was born August s. 1898. in Okla !
homa and was appointed to the !
Naval Academy in 1872 During the
Word War he served on the battle
ship Michigan. and in 1920 he was
ordered to the L. :. :. Fulton for in
StructiOn in submarines.
Except for a short tour of duty as
naval aircraft inspector on Long