Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
SUBMARINE SAFETY.
RINGS PASS TESTS
Approved in Strenuous Labo-
ratory Study-WiII Be Tried
Out Under Actual Conditions.
BY the Associated Press.


Naval officers satisfied themselves yes
terday that the raising of sunken sub
| marines by means of steel rings attached
to the craft is practical from labora-
tory standpoint, but whether it will work
under actual conditions still remains to
be determined
The first laboratory tests with the
rings which were suggested at the time
Of the S-4 disaster when more than a
score of lives were lost, were held yes
terday at the Bureau of Standards, and
atterward officers expressed satisfaction
over the results.
1t is planned to conduct further tests
on the submarine S-4, which has been
reconditioned for experimental work.
The submarine now Is en- route to Key
West, where new tests are to be held
At Key West the Navy also proposes to
test out for the first time a lung escape
apparatus designed by Lieut.. Charles B.
Momsen of the Bureau of Construction
and Repair, and the diving bell rescue
plan.
Extensive Tests Planned.
After these tests. the submarine will
be taken to New London for extensive
experiments with the rings Lieut..
Momsen, with DR.. G. H. Mankin of the
Naval Medical Corps, will leave for Key
West today
Though the possibilities of combining
the use of the rings to raise sunken
submarines with other rescue methods,
like the lung escape apparatus, have not
yet been determined they are all part
Of 1f
reScues from submarine disasters, Lieut..
Momsen said 1.-The tests at Key West
will be followed Immediately by tests OF
the rings at New London"
The ring tested yesterday, known as
"pad-eye," was designed by Lieut..
Carlton Shuggs. 1t was similar to the
ones which were attached to the S-4
following the disaster of December q
year ago.
The S-4 was raised by means of two
pontoons attached to 4-inch rings at
Great Pond, Block Island. recently.
In the new tests, more pontoons,
probably six, will be used in an effort
to determine the actual practicability
of this method as to speed and general
feasibility.
The rings yesterday we're attached to
model Of the hull of the S-4, which
was suspended IN an Emery machine
mammoth device arranged, with n.y.
draulic congresses, to exert a pull or
push of hundreds of thousands of
pounds. and to record the pull or pres
sure eXerted.
Drama In Tests.
Even to the men used to witnessing
the performance of the mighty Emery
machine-and to thinking in terms Of
its 100000 pounds of power-the test
provided two hours of intense drama.
At first. the pull was increased with
broad jumps. starting at 10000 pounds.
then up to 10000 pounds, but after
that more gradually. At 100000 pounds
the plates inside the test-section began
to buckle. From this figure pressu, G
was applied in steps of 1000 pounds
each.
At 100000 pounds, the ring snapped,
but the hull model remained intact.
The scientists, engineers and design
ers proclaimed the ring success-at
least from the standpoint of the lab
oratory test. This demonstration that
it would bear $4,000 pounds of pull,
they said, insured its lasting qualities
under the pull it would receive from the
pontoons by which submarines would
be lifted.