Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-06
DRAMATIC STORY OF DEATHS
ON S-4 TOLD IN MESSAGE LOG
"AN 0. K" Is Last Word Re.
Ceived From Men in Tor
pedo Room.
Trapped Men Called in Vain
for Oxygen Bottles as
Water Rose.

The nassin. of the lives "t SIX mr"'
| framed in the torpedo room w me
| submarine S.4. following hef slnN'.S
off provincetown. Mass, Is SfaPh'C""N
| ,,,a !, the anpeals for haste and for
NJ 40 ,nld in the signal log. wherein
are recorded messages hetwee" the
| two vessels after the SaNaSe "''''
| arrived on the scene.
The log was made public yesterday
hv secretary Wilbur. and 1t was en-
MIA ined that the communication was
! Facilitated hv the fact that the torpedo
| o,b,,ar Lieut. Graham Fitch OF TINS
CRY WAS alive in the compartments
He was thoroughly familiar with the
| signal codes. \ copy al me log mas
been sent Ia the parents "f Lieut..
Fitch. Lieut.. Col. and Mrs. Fitch OF
this city.
Details Arc Given.
The 10. follows.
4 sister vessel. the IS. first estah
lished communication with the - ny
answering signals sent from the sur
face hS a system of knocks from the
50 on the hull. as follows:
Yes. Answer with taps.
M Answer with , taps.
/ don't know. Answer with seven
taps,
q. l. control room flooded?
\, Seven taps sent al pm. on DE
cemhcr Is.
q. Is water in torpedo room"
4. Three taps sent at a:ll pm. on
December is.
O. Are You in torpedo ,oomr
A. Three taps sent at a:3a pm. De
ccmher IS.
Due 10 the ability with which sig.
nails were received in the torpedo room
j. was figured that Lieut.. Fitch was
there as he was torpedo officer. so
that better system was started by
telling the 81 Ia signal by interna-
,ioual code. using two knocks for
dash and one knock for dot.
AZ this time the L. :. :. Falcon
toak over the communications by
using an cScillator for communicating:
Q. Is there any gas?
A. No. but the air is bad. How
long viii YOU he now?
Sent Mt & pm. December Is.
q. How many are there?
A. There are six. Please hurry.
Sent AT $50 pm. December Is.
Compartment salvage air is being
hooked ap now.
Sent AT 6:43 pm. on December Is
from Falcon.
q. win YOU raise us soon?
a. We are doing everything pos
sihic.
Taps heard AT SIS and at 1918 pm
on December is.
diver was down.
Water Coming In Slow.
@. Is water stiIl coming in?
A. Slow. Hurry.
Sent at ISL pm. December IL.
Q. We are working as fast as pos
sihlc. Have you light
A. We have no light. The air In
very had.
Sent at 1902 am. on December 10.
q. Can you tell US the names of
those with YOU?
A. Names are Fitch. Short. Crabb,
Peinar. Snizek. Stevens.
Sent at 1850 am. December 10.
q. Have you tried removing gag
from compartment salvage air line?
A. Salvage air line II flooded. Sent
at 80 am. December 10.
@. How deep liz water I'm compart.
ment.
A. The water Is about is inches
deep. Air IN very bad. Sent at Coo
a m. December H.
At this time the Falcon had TO leave
ithe scene of the operations with Diver
Nlehaels. injured when imprisoned i'm
the wreckage during the rescue oper.
atoms. and the L. s. g. So was or.
dered 10 KEEP in communication with
the "a. AT this time the weather ron.
ditions on the surface made diving i'm.
practical bic
Oxygen bottle empty. Can you send
down a couple Received Mt 9.38 n. m.
| December - from So
SIS asked "a 10 make more space
between letters
s-S told "a 10 make 10 taps II they
did not receive message.
At a:4d am. December ~, the SIS
again received message
Can YOU send down couple"
During This period the 4. 4. =. SIS
I bad diffienity In reception. due no
doubt 10 thu weakness of the person.
mel on the 50
(0uyersaftau Kent In