Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19

United states Navy ioono llSel
in when the Ssh and the S-4 wer'
sunk, The tragic ending, with th'
Sslvsgers finding only the dead bodle:
az their Shipmates as the reward q
their frantic struggles toward rescue
drives home lesson that the navieS o!
the world will ultimately learn.
There are two sides 10 every opera
ton on 3 lost Submarine-~the rescue
problem for the men left alive in tht
boat. and the salvage problem for the
boat itself In peace time the rescue
feature Is paramount IN wartime he
salvage feature is probably of more i'm
povtance. IN the cases of our S-4 anc
the Italian FLA, ii was naturally the
rescue alive OF the men inside that
seemed most important Conditions
were far more favorable for such
rescue on the FLA than on the S-4, YET
In both cases all hands were lost. In
both countries. the question uppermost
in every ones mind was 'Why?"
On the So were 40 men, not one was
drowned in the accident which quickly
flooded the middle Of the boat and
drove 81 men to seal themselves up aft
in the engine room while the remain
Inc six shut themselves up forward III
the torpedo room. The submarine hit
The bottom with her whole crew alive
and temporarily safe, out there was no
escape for any one In few hours,
certainly less than the % hours which
elapsed before the first diver down
reached the wreck every one Of the 81
men aft died of suffocation, chlorine
poisoning, or both. During the next
three DAYS. while storm on the sur
face prevented any diving at all. the
six men forward died OF Sunocatior ana
cold. On the FLA recently six OF the
yzs@xr n i.@ flooded j.
partments-Some twenty-one others died
OF chlorine poisoning before the boat
was lifted.
Lifting Required MoniAs.
The S-4 was an e00-ton boat sunk
during December on an exposed coast
In a bad location. Lifting her with
available equipment, pontoons, required
three months. The Fla was 24o-ton
boat sunk in August in the warm
Adriatic. Lifting her with such floating
derricks as happened TO be at hand
practically the same equipment Is
available in every large port IN me
world required only "a hours. In ootn
cases, the result was defeat; the crews
we're dead.
II is evident that il is a matter Of
ccnapIefe ir1Gif erence 10 the trapped
crew of a Submarine. doomed 10 Gle in
\ few hours after sinking, from chlorine
or Sl1Focafion. whether the boat Is
raised in a Gay and a hall or whether
Il Il raised IN three months. Inelf
concern under such circumstances Is
immediate escape, assisted by divers
outside if any are there, or without
them il surface conditions prevent
Giving. Such escape is possible IN
proOerly fitted out submarine. White It
Is hazardous. il viii always be sttempt-
cd II circumstances are such that the
men inside are likely 70 die before the
bost can be lifted. To prevent such
escape. i. is necessary that every SUD-
marine be fitted with dounIe-oooreo
s.ylock at each end of the boat as ven
as the usual one IN the coming tower.
The crew. wherever driven by the accl-
cent viii then be able to emerge one
bv one. II a diver is available OUTSIDE
u clap a diving helmet over the head
of the sailor coming out. and then mt
him 70 the surface, rescue Is practlcally
sire. II no outside diver Is available,
then the man escaping must take ms
chance Of swimming 10 the surface.
In deep water this chance is poor, IN
slaaIJower water 1.-THE bow OF the F-l4
was submerged only about so feet) the
chance is fair: in either case IT Is pet
ter than certain death inside the boat.
again showed the folly Of most OF the
elaborate devices proposed for rescue
work. The weather was bad, diving 70
the FLA was difficult. there was no
cnsnce To handle bulky contriyances
even though available. in addition the
Fla with her flooded stern on the bot
tom and her buoyant bow hallway 10
the surface was at such steep angle
that securing any Of the diving bell
attachments that always seem 50 prom
lSing on paper was wholly out Of the
question Diving on both the Fla ano
the So was reduced 10 its lowest terms,
If was I'D to the divers and 10 the
safety features built into the boats
Themselves years before In the Aofl-
stic, as of ProYincet0wn. the divers
proved themselves heroes, but the boats
themselves In both cases were found
wanting and the crews Of both ships
persisted.
Air Line Intellectual.
On So and F-i4 an airline 70 the
compartment housing the survivors fig
ured prominently On the S-4 the line
was never attached while life existed
. the last diver down IN the teeth OF q
pale was tangled in Hreckage attempt
iIsQ TO connect up this airline, his res
cue by q fellow diver forms an epic o.
the Inoersea On the FLA the airline
vas secured early in the operation all
vas pumped through IL. bIi the trapped
victims we're 10 little Interested tina
they failed even 10 answer a question
a. 70 what ne effect was.
The reason for this was clear Ions
before the S-4 accident. and the remedy
might have been effected two years ago
Though il was not Our submarine
IL -
~ fitted up that air could be blo~f
into the boat through single man
tfagersing al compartments, but non
return valves IN The main prevented
venting out fool or poisoned sir. undf
these conditions adding air from tn
outside merely makes matters worse b,
putting the men 10 the boat under pres
fuge and results Ia Killing them NOR
quickly than otherwise. Trained diver
CIR ktand this pressure tor only a few
hours. Putting unframed sailors, aifead.
gasplng 10 an atmosphere of carbon
Tt0yide and chlorine gas under presRur
mas only the benefit q shortening tn
agony.
At least TWO years ago 1t was pointe
osJt that il was essential ~ provide con
nsctions on each submarine compart
r1ent 50 that BAD air could oe Fentei
I1gt while fresh air aag pumped direct
Il 10 the survivors When thar Is done
shere viii be reasonable chance O
keeping survivors inside a Sunken sub
marine alive until they can be rescued
THE weight required and the cost u )
hitting up every submarine boat al
both quite Insignificant
There are several other safety lea
lures which must be incorporated ]
existing boats 10 make them safe e
tbe crews IN the variety ~ accident
vnirh experience and foresight snow
he likely. MT these cannot De outline
tn 3 briff discussion
The second gnsln ohleci ~ S5eDa2fln
savage involves lifting tne boat hsei