New Britain herald., 1927-12-19

! pontoon off the shore. After three unsuccessful attempts to free the 1 pontoon efforts were suspended until better weather.
 1 The northwest gale prevailing was such as to cause local officials of the Merritt Chapman and Scott Cor poration to advise against further efforts and thus taking part 10 free the pontoon until the wind and sea subsidies.
 Ruzzards Bay, Mass, Dec. 1o LP) The tugs Sagamore and Iwana , bringing three pontoons from Brooklyn, N. Y, passed through the Cape Cad canal shortly after 10 this morning. The tugs and pontoons arc bound for Provincetown to aid in the rescue work of the sunken sub marine S-4.
 Fight Against Time
 II was a fight against time today, in which every minute was precious and the odds were admittedly against the slowly suffocating sur vivors in an almost impossible ratio.
 In the ears of every officer and man of the rescue fleet from Rear Admiral Frank H. Brumby down to the rawest recruit, rang the des- perate cry of the unfortunate men. laboriously pounded ont by ham, mer In the metallic dots and dashes of the Morse code to a diver along side on the sandy bottom.
 "Please Hurry"
 How long will you be now" and then,
 Please hurry"
 The message that told the fleet that men still lived on the S-4 came from the torpedo room. From the other compartments there was no en- couraging word.
 A great hole ripped through the heavy steel plates starboard at amid ships and just forward of the ships four inch gun left little doubt of the fate Of officers and men on duty chere when the speeding prov of the Paulding clove its way into the sub mcrsiblcs side.
 silence Aft Aft Of the coming tower there was silence too. but there was also hope, however, slight. Divers had been un- able 10 elicit a response to their tappings because of the mass of wreckage which obstructed the decks.
 On the surface. the frenzied yet orderly efforts at rescue went for ward with zeal Three mine layers which stood by continuously since shortly after the crash formed triangle about the spot. The Mallard and the Lark steadied the Falcon aboard which Admiral Brumby and his staff d. rected the operations of the divers. Two submarine tenders, the Wan dank and the Bushnell were prepar- ed to help while q short distance away four destroyers restlessly awaited orders.
 Farther off the naval tugs Saga more and Iuka raced under forced draft against a handicap Of heavy seas and adverse winds to bring six pontoons from the Brooklyn, N. T., navy yard.
 The pontoons were similar 10 those used to raise the S-51 which | went down off Block Island two l years ago with a loss of 33 lives. ! Naval officers pinned their hope of 1, cffecting a rescue on these should y ttT m n <. lift the wreck with compressed air fail,
 Work of POntoOns
 The pontoons would take at least : two days to attach under the most favorable circumstances but weather conditions were said never 10 have i been worse for such work.
 \ brisk, cold breeze and a choppy Sea numbed divers and made their work hazardous.
 In the meantime, should 1t appear that there was immediate prospect ot bringing the submarine to the sutface with air, an attempt will be 1, uadc 10 introduce an airline into the com mDartm"nt where the six are.
 Two men were aboard the rescue fleet, on whom the navy banked especially high. Both were veterans of the S-51 operations.
 One was Captain l.. J. King, who | s,lyaGcd the wrecked hull of the | Block Island disaster ship and who {, raced by seaplano 10 10 take over | direct charge Of similar work here. '
 The other was Commander Els ! berg, retired. Of Westflcld N. J., who supervised diving work there and ! whose voluntary cmergence from the |