USS S - 5 ( SS - 110 ) USS " S - 5 " ( SS - 110 ) was a " Government - type " " S " - class submarine of the United States Navy . Her keel was laid down on 4 December 1917 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard of Kittery , Maine . She was launched on 10 November 1919 sponsored by Mrs . Glenn S . Burrell , and commissioned on 6 March 1920 with Lieutenant Commander Charles M . " Savvy " Cooke , Jr . , in command . Following builder ' s trials , outfitting , and crew training , " S - 5 " departed Boston Navy Yard on 30 August 1920 to undergo full - power trials off the Delaware Capes . At 13 : 00 on 1 September , she commenced a dive for a submerged test run . Water unexpectedly entered the submarine through the main air induction system , pouring into the control room , engine room , torpedo room , and the motor room . Normal procedure was to leave the main air induction valve open until the engines had a chance to come to a full stop , this operation being so timed as to occur just prior to complete submergence . In the case of " S - 5 " , however , the Chief of the Boat , Gunner ' s Mate Percy Fox , the man responsible for operating this valve , was momentarily distracted . Noticing the mistake , he grabbed the valve lever and jerked hard , causing the valve to jam open . After considerable difficulty , the system valves in the other compartments were closed , but all efforts to secure the torpedo room valve met with failure . The abandoned torpedo room flooded , making the boat bow heavy . An additional of water in the motor room bilges caused her to settle on the bottom . It was now impossible to eject water from the torpedo room . An attempt was then made to pump out the motor room , but a gasket blew out and there were no means for repair . Lying on the bottom , the crew had little hope of being found , much less being rescued . Their situation now called for original thinking . They reasoned that sufficient buoyancy in the after section could tilt the sub on her nose and extend the stern above the surface . The tilt would cause the water in the motor room to drain forward and increase buoyancy further . However , there was great risk involved because this would allow salt water into the battery room , which would generate deadly chlorine gas . They hoped to have enough time , after the water had entered , to close the watertight door before the gas could reach a dangerous level . After making preparations , air was applied to the after ballast and fuel tanks , blowing them dry . The stern began to rise and then shot to the surface . Men , floor plates , bilge water , and other loose objects fell through the length of the submarine . One man nearly drowned in the battery room , but was fished out and the compartment door was sealed against the gas . By tapping on the hull , it was determined that the stern extended about above the water . With inadequate tools , they took turns trying to cut a hole in the thick hull . After 36 hours , they had only succeeded in making a hole in diameter . A seaman on watch aboard the wooden steamship " Alanthus " spotted what he thought was a buoy . Knowing that no buoy should be so far out to sea , " Alanthus " s captain turned his vessel around to investigate . Approaching the submarine ' s stern rising above the ocean , the captain hailed " S - 5 " in maritime fashion . That conversation became legend : " Alanthus " could not help with the cutting , but was able to rig a pump to provide air , provide fresh water for drinking , and rig cables under " S - 5 " ' s stern to hold it above the surface . " Alanthus " had no radio , but about 18 : 00 , was able to contact the passing Pan - American liner " General Goethals " by signal flags . " Goethals " had a radio and contacted the Navy , and immediately began enlarging the hole . By 01 : 45 , it was big enough to squirm through . At 03 : 00 , Captain Cooke left his command . The second submarine lost from the United States Navy had resulted in no deaths or serious injuries . Later that morning , the battleship secured a towline to the stern of " S - 5 " and proceeded to tow her to more shallow water . The towline , however , parted and the loosed sub bobbed , then plunged to the bottom . A long but ultimately unsuccessful attempt was made to raise " S - 5 " and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1921 . The portion of " S - 5 " s hull plating that was removed by " Goethals " to permit her crew to escape from the sunken submarine is on exhibit in the Navy Memorial Museum in the Washington Navy Yard in Washington , DC .