Evening star., 1939-05-29
Services Tomorrow
To Honor Is Victims
Of Submarine
Office Being Set Up
For Filing Of Claims
By SquoIus Widows
BY the Associated Press.

PORTSMOUTH, N. H., May 90
While crew of go divers con-
tinued it's laborious job of ready
ing the sunken submarine Squalus
for it's trip from watery grave,
Comdr. A. E. Stone, Navy chap
lain, announced today special Me-
mortal Day services for the 26 vic
Tins would be held tomorrow.
After the regular Decoration Day
exercises, held annually, the 33 sur
vivors and relatives of the Squalus'
dead with assemble in the Ports
mouth Navy Yard Auditorium Mu-
sic, the singing of hymns, special
prayers and benediction will be in
cluded in the service
Constantly active for the welfare
of the widows and families of the
drowned men, Comdr. Stone said
an office was being set up in his
quarters, In conjunction with the
Red Cross, so that relatives might
file claims against the Government
for burials expenses and pensions
Five or six widows already have filed
claims
Relatives in distant cities, Comdr.
Stone said, might file their claims
with their local Red Cross office.
Asserting each one of the men res
cued with the escape bell had writ
ten his story of the tragedy, 1t.
Comdr. John B. Longstaf said "the
purpose of these written statements
is to get permanent record of the
mems version of the disaster early
before minor events are forgotten. :"
Sometimes" he said, these minor
events are the key to the solution.
The commanding officer is also pre-
pairing his official report to the Navy
Department"
Survivors Back on Duty.
1t. Comdr. Longstaff, aide to the
, commandant of the Navy Yard here
and one of those rescued when the
submarine SIS sank in 1920, said all
the SqValus survivors were back on
active duty.
After the sinking Of the Squalus
was discovered, Navy officials ex-
pressed the belief the sea rushed into
the submarine through an open air
induction valve, plunging the under
sea craft 240 feet to the ocean floor.
Later, however, rescued crew mem
ber said warning lights indicated all
valves were closed when the craft
submerged
Officials were confident that once
the S4,O00,O00 Squalus was raised
from its bed of mud and in drydock,
the cause of the accident would be
learned.
While prayers were said in Ports
mouth churches yesterday for the
dead, divers attached airlines to the
forward section of the Squalus. in
creasing the air pressure in water
free compartments to guard against
leakage and to bring the pressure
within the craft nearer to that
outside
Hampered by Freezing Temperatures
The underwater workers were
hampered by temperatures which
froze their airlines. Under such
conditions the divers helmet be-
comes clouded and he eventually
Is affected. Officers said they would
"dehydrate" the oxygen and helium
mixtures being used by the divers
to remedy the situation.
Salvaging, which may take a
week, involves raising the submarine
by her own buoyancy, aided by
huge pontoons. At present the
Squalus rests at 10-degree angle
with her stern resting in the mud.
Referring to the victims of the
disaster in his sermon in the North
Congregational Church, the Rev.
Arthur A. Rouner said they
served their country just as the
men who have died previously on
the battlefield. They will enable us
to have an adequate defense and
to prepare their country to resist
aggression"