Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-21
Three Naval Vessels Anchor
Together at Scene of Wreck
as First of Divers Returns
to Work Below.
HOPES THAT SIX LIVE
VIRTUALLY ABANDONED
Floodlights Will Illumine Water
as Effort Is Made to Tap Hole in
Hull of Submarine and Attach
Airline-Sea Is Calm as Opera
tons Start Again.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PROVINCETOWN, Mass, Decem-
Der 2l.--Diving operations were re-
sumed at 1890 o'clock today in an
attempt to rescue the six men
imprisoned in the wreck of the
sunken submarine S-4 The first
man to go down was James Ingram.
who was the first to be lowered
when the S-5l was sunk off Block
Island two years ago.
The sea was so calm the diver was
lowered directly over the side of the
mine. sweeper Falcon. the flagship
of the salvage feet The diving
platform had been rugged. but was
not found necessary.
Comdr. Edward Ellsberg, who
had charge. of S-5l salvage work,
was at the telephone on the deck.
maintaining communications with
the diver.
r. {. (Tug1 Wilson. who was the
second diver TO go down TO the
Ssh, was iii his diving suit ready TO
make the descent as soon as Angram
sumed i'll lowering and raising the
diver, made necessary by the chang
ing pressure at various levels, no
report ON Ingrams findings was
available at 2 o'clock.
Moored Over Wreck.
The mine sweepers Falcon and
Lark and the submarine tender
Bushnell are moored together above
the position Of the 81.
=. n II
,,hees etransferred from the Falcon to
the submarine SIS, TO enable them
to study the interior OF that vessel
in preparation for joining in the res
cue work.
These divers already had studied
blue prints Of the 81. but 1t was
deemed advisable to have them gain
further first-hand information before
going down to the wreck.
Two more pontoons to be used in
raising operations arrived here today
in tow of the tug Iuka, making total
OF Ave now in the harbor.
Pontoons Hoisted Aboard.
At the same time two of the three
pantoons that had been I'm the harbor
aimee Monday were hoisted aboard
the derrick lighter Century. which
was believed to be preparing to go
out to the scene of the disaster.
No sounds from the torpedo room
OF the S-4. in which six men are i'm
prisoned, had been heard since 8
o'clock last night when seven faint
taus were detected by the oscillat0r
of the submarine S-S. sister ship
OF the So.
Although the SIS signaled at hourly
intervals throughout the night. no an.
swer came back from, below. And
the beet minds among the Navy sub
marine men. after most careful calcu-
lations. determined that the six men
could not live more than few hours
into this day without oxygen.
Just before 10 o'clock this morning
the S-S pulled up anchor and went
awav from the spot where she had
heen endeayoring to communicate
with the 81 The Falcon came ami
took anchorage and the SIS wig
wagged for permission to charge her
batteries. This was given from the
Falcon.
Hope Virtually Abandoned.
The S-S had been under orders to
remain in position as long as there
was any hope of communicating with
her sister ship. Her action in NOV
ing away was interpreted as meaning
that there was no longer possibility
and that no more signals might be
looked for.
Two other submarines the SIS
and the S3, were at anchor in the
inner harbor. mile and half from
the scene of the disaster.
when The Associated Press boat
uuIled alongside of the Falcon. diver
Tom Eadie, wig-wagged that an at
tempt would be made to send a diver
over as soon as the Falcon was lined
I'm with the submarine tender Bush
nell and the minesweeper Lark. The
mfnesweeper Mallard. which had
taken. part in previous operations,
was not i'm the line.
Eadie, who was the first diver 10
pa down to S-4 last Sunday. said the
rescuers would attempt TO tap a
hole in the hull OF the submarine
ar the torpedo room and attach an
airline.
This will require the use of under
water floodlights such as were used
in the S-51 salvaging opera tons.
I It will be necessary to weld the tap
ming machine to the hull. The
machine Is so constructed that when
the hull Is punctured and the drill
vrithdrawn a valve automatically is
closed. The air line is then screwed
ON and air forced in.
Fleet Is Reinforced.
The salvage fleet was reinforced
early today by the arrival OF the der
rick lighter Colossus in tow of the tug
T,esolute and the naval tug Mohave
,l,ha lighter carries a larger crane thar
the lighter Century, which arrived
yesterday.
Roth of them remained at ancho
q, Proyincetown Harbor. where thu
three big pontoons brought here from
Rrooklyn Navy Yard to aid in rails
ing tbe So were moored beside tn
naval tug Wandank.
The Coast Guard destroyer Paulding
which rammed and sank the Sd las
saturday. and later reached the inne
barbor, was deserted today by tn
Coast Guard destroyer Tucker. whicl
had been acting as her convoy. Tn
Paulding was preparing to leave 10
Boston under her own power.
Ii was shortly after o'clock yes
terday morning that three taps ac
t..,..I>1rod that message which th