Evening star., 1928-03-19
SIX BODIES IN HULL
OF S-4 ARE VIEWED
BY INQUIRY BOARD
Continued from First Page)

ropes and tackle, while otherS mounted
| the coming tower with electric lights
and prepared the way tor the members
OF the board Of inquiry, who are to go
into the hull later this afternoon.
! Members Of the board will be pre-
/ ceded by three medical officers, who
! will examine the bodies and prepare
/ them for removal tonight. They will
/ carry along with them an extension
wire and telephone their readings OF
! gauges, etc. as they find them.
I The board Of inquiry will include
/ Capt. J. D. Wilson. president: Comdr,
Earl F. Enright Of the Construction
Corps; Lieut. Condrs. Emory P. Ed
/ redge and Forrest J. Libenow. Lieut..
/ Comdr George Dowling Of the Medical
! Corps. Lieut. Thomas S. Wylly OF the
! Supply Corps and Lieut.. Arthur c..
Smith. recorder.
Members of the board were unable
20 say today whether the court OF in
ouiry which investigated the sinking Of
the S-4 will be reconvened TO hear the
report Of what is found within the
submarine Capt. Wilson said his
board would report direct to Rear Ad-
nliral Phillip Andrews. commandant Of
the yard. and If there are any startling
facts uncovered by the investigation
inside the submarine the court of In
ouiry originally conducting the investi-
CATION may be reconyened or another
one called.
Navy Yard Policed.
The navy yard here is being policed
as IN war time Only newspaper men
and photographers are admitted, and
no one is allowed 10 even leave the
yard without minute inspection Of his
pass. Nevertheless, the number of
those admitted. plus the sailors on duty
at the yard and all the civilian work
men, made up a large crowd which
stood IN an Icy wind all day watching
the dry-cocking operations. Among
them was Comdr. Bayliss Of the Coast
! Guard destroyer Paulding. which sent
the s-4 to the bottom. The Paulding
is docked 100 yards or so from the S-4.
The work today Of getting the S-4
prepared for those who will go aboard
and examine her began December 10.
! the day after the wreck. Il moved
steadily. and according 70 schedule. but
50 slowly al times that there was no
noticeable progress. AS the last steps
we're taken today 10 recover the bodies
If Lieut.. Fitch and Of his five COM
| pan!ons in the torpedo room. there was
emphasized again the poignant tragedy
Of their hamner-tapped signals:
] How long Will it be now?" He had
asked.
Il has been three months and two
days.
Mrs. Graham Fitch. mother Of Lieut..
Fitch, and his widow are in Boston,
staying with relatives. They have not
accompany Lieut.. Fitch's body back TO
Washington for interment In Arlington.
Removal of Bodies Delayed.
The bodies 0: Lieut. Fitch and Of the
FIVE men who died with him in the
torpedo room, and the bodies OF two
other men which lie somewhere else
in the DARK interior OF the steel hulk Of
the S-4, viii not be removed until cark
this evening, according 20 orders issued
yesterday by Real Admiral Phillip An
crews at the Chaflestown Navy Yard.
! The order was Issued. IL was explained,
20 prevent photographers from taxing
pictures from the navy YARD Tne
/ bodies viii be taken 10 the Chelsea
Naval Hospital and identified by J. H.
Taylor, chief Of the Nays Identification
bureau, who reached here today from
! Washington.
/ In addition 10 Lieut. Fitch. those who
died an agoniztng death In the tor
! pedo room with him were r. L.. Short
+ 0! B0onSviiIe, Me; r. A. Crabb Of Fan
River. Mass: George Pelnar OF South
Omaha, Eebr.; Frank Snizik Of Ridge
| field PARK. n J.. and J. L. Stevens OF
| Providence, r, J.
| Luck was with the E-4 On the final
cruise. which ended yesterday morning
/ ST4 Iye
| the Charlestown Navy Yard. Work OF
raising her and starting her On her way
was rushed Saturday because Of storm
warnings. A. little before the tow en-
tered North Channel, leading 10 Boston
IIaToor and the navy yard. the nera!ced
gloTtheaEter broke, and by the time the
convoy was feeling It's way slowly up
ire sheltered waters Of the harbor q
gale vas blowing which whipped the
waters ri Massachusetts, Bay outside u
fury. Had the storm broken earlier, the
three months work Of preparation "
III. the E-4 might have been In vain,
for !, vas feared that she would break
away fran her supporting pontoons In
q high sea and sink again.
Ceremony Lacking.
The tow came in sight from the
piers 1t the navy yard a little before .
o'clock yesterday morning, There was
% ceremony nor any welcome. a
group ri officers and sailors huddied on
the piers and watched the cortege, foT
such IL seemed as 1t became Visible
through binding snOgstorm. The
flags On the Navy vessels were flying al
hal! staf!. and one Of the first things
seen by the watchers ashore as the tow
neaTed the docks was Il brand-neY
American flag. iaghed half way up
4 nlakeshft mast rigged 10 the con-
aiEg tower u the S-4. She came into
port her coiors still flying.
Navy tugs unanswered the s-4 and
her bupyant pgnbSons into the approach
10 the dry dock, but by the time this
vas completed the tide was On the eEh
and II vas decided not to get the hulk
into dry c0ck until this morning. But
there was plenty " Do IN preparation.
Ths sub was listing and Navy officers
J wanted " get her On an even keel be-
fore putting her In the d0ck. This was
done Dy blowing more air into the pom
toms on one side and letting water
into those on the other. Her draugh,
. was also reduced by raising her O few
feet higher In the water. She drew
about n feet On the t1W from Province
D9pp. Divers worked about her huh u
, make her trim before putting her Ia
dry cock.
Ifoie Cut In Tower.
The work went forward all of yes.
terGay. With q hitter gale blowing rain
ana snow and glest, only the uppef sec,
lion 0f tls E"4's coming tower wa