Evening star., 1928-03-18
S-4 IS RECLAIMED
FROM OCEAN GRAVE
BY NAVY ENGINEERS
Sunken Submarine Raised
After Three Months Work
of Salvage Crews.
TUGS TOWING DEATH SHIP
TO BOSTON NAVY YARD
Six Bodies of Victims Are in Tor
pedo Room-Two Others Are
Believed in Craft.
By BEN McKELWAy.


PROVINCETOWE. Mass. March II.
Three months 10 the day and within
Is minutes of the hour she sank with
40 men aboard beneath the waters of
Cape Cod Bay Of Wood End, Province
town. the United States Submarine Sd
pokcd her coming tower and battered
Superstructure through blanket OF
white foam this afternoon and mo-
n,ent later was resting easily. swung III
cradle of chains between SIX huge
poa.oons.
Within an hour she was on her way
to Boston. preceded and towed by Two
tugs, creeping along at two knots, ano
followed BIZ another one, pumping
steadily the air into her compartments
and the pontoonS that keep her afoat.
The convoy, moving like funeral
train. is expected to reach Boston Navy
Yard early tomorrow morning when
the S-4 win be put in dry dock. her
huh TO be searched for the tragic
secrets it may hold.
Final Salvage Work.
II was al 3:37 on the gray afternoon
of December II when the S-4. rammeo
almost within hailing distance OF the
shore by the Coast Guard DESTROYER
parIdiug went down with 40 omcers
and men trapped without cnance IN
her steel hull.
II was at 3:22 this afternoon that she
rise again. The sun was shining bright
IL. A Slight breeze rippled the blue
water. The spot where the S-4 sank was
marked by q feet Of Navy ships stand
ing by 70 watch and help in the reSur =
rrction. There were the Mallard and
Sapamcre. two mine sweepers, anchored
70 shelter the spot where the S-4 Iay
resting on the bottom, and actla3 aS
a hreakwater. Next IN line was the RAJ.
con. flagship OF the salvage nee[ ana
near her the Wandark and the Lark,
two other mine-sweepers.
After three months of hard, unceasing
and dangerous work. the prepaTatlosis
rad been made and all Was ready. Lying
100 feet beneath the surface OF the bay
hti1asnr closely between them the wreck
Of the S-4, were six big steel pontoons-'
four Of them forward of the inning
tower. tao of them aft. Between the
yoy,toouS chains had heen tcnneleo un-
Ger The submarine. 50 that when they
lifted. they would lift the ship.
<<sjx thousand feet OF air lines LED
rom a control manifold on the bridge
q. the Falcon to the compartments OF
the So and the six pontoons. ana al
1i:o4 o'clock In the morning the wofK
Of blowing air into the sub and into
the pontoonS began.
FIRST the control room of the SUD-
raarfrae vas blown clear Of water. Then
Are motor room, the torpedo room, the
battery room. the main ballast room
tanks, fuel tanks and safety tanks were
cleared and filed with air.
s-4 Filled With Air.
Then the pontoons themselves. each
with q lifting force OF 30 tons. felt the
thrush Of air under an average pressure
OF 50 pounds to the square inch.
AT ais O'Clock Comdr. Harold Z.
Saunders. chief salvage ofhcer, standing
- the controls On the bridge OF the
Falcon. said the submarine was fun oi
AZ. Sailors began making bets on
whether she would rise Some oi the
30 Or more divers. hanging over the
raj! q the Falcon. made up pool. each
era wing pellets naming the hour ano
nainuta the sub would lift above the
surface. Minutes passed. The word be-
gar 70 &c around that the Navy would
tire the raising OF the S-4 70 MAKE
Iaer come up the very minute that fne
vert down But everybody was WORK.
ira 70 bring i1er up before the three
months had passed
Al 2.5S the waters near the stern
a. ne Fsicon. 20 feet or 20 away. be-
psn 70 boil Suddenly two big pontO0fl8.
irsesy RED and black barrei-lke sides
flashing in the sun lesped above the
tam. then boboed under, then f1oatec
zgzin. Gown a. the bow, high az the
stern.
Shes up" went up the cry. but
nothing else happened. The rumor be-
gan 70 ny about that the tao stern pom
t>ors had broken away. But Comdr
Saunders, his hand At the valves. his
eyes on the gauges. shook his head.
Submarine Reaches Surface.
Wl1ho8t warning, st a.2I, Sorn"b2dy
sf1g9tec Here Sine Gonnes." One min
us@ later with great geysers of foaH
sfaooting high into the air and Nitn inf
sgYfa1e psels chlined into milky white.
Esfas. the coming tyyeF ~ me E4 mot
1sta tile air, ner tao periscopes bent
her sQperKtFUctuge twisted or tori
sway. The four p0ntoona that held ilsi
forward Ot tEe coming JJgeE DoiJlIed u!
ike big painted cofks,
great cheer went up from the Pal
con that was schoed from ihe sailor
On the other snips But hardly ha'
sIle cheering olec away w1en boat
g51 E1t fEyH ItE SGl3pf dfgG ftalf'
foszrd the ypntC0rs, al ~ them viii
crews waiting W Jump Oh ftf iSonsoon
Sn6 make everything fast EDDafd in
Fsloou Officers cr0Hded around Capt
Earnest King III charge ~ the opera
tlofE, and EselH Saunders congTatU
lstsng them On I9e s5CcFS&f0i oiItcoua
~ d hazardous sDG clfflcult feat o
s<s8sl engineering F0f when the cyF
ming tower III the E-< ECpped sLgp
tEae surface of the water, IL msrkec III
end 0f tslg nTst Stage ~ frantic WGr
sstst beaaD three months ago al
w1lien haa paused bat little since. III
"a hs& been down 81 days and on III
z1H Of them that weather peFnitie
divers UnofT the SEA sno HUNDREDS {
,aeu above the surface have been wOTk
ing ~ get neT up again, Diyffk. for IN
k4ence have gone down bsg times.
nm setting the ss up IL opiy pa
syf tne iob Joui2IDi toe coByDy Is pr
eeeding slowly ~ EosIon with moi
tnsn ons nest beating fast frptD fii
foougiat thst IN the 10~tnjie tt1p soHf
f1:ng might give way sno The S-4 v
Gown again. sH0otn bsA ahd ~
zeatney promises Success however. 81
ka,ne Tine tomorrow Lne ss-4 is fkpects
h. be la tlae GTydOek mat awaits iis
H. CHS fiestown
IL fbe forward control room of II
"a sfs the bodies ~ slS men 81
so,neahsye eisf IN the hyll are ~
1coatiuuec on Page !. Column 81