SUBMARINE DISABLED DURING MANOEUVRES.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLII, Issue 6064, 19 January 1914, Page 5

SUBMARINE DISABLED DURING MANOEUVRES.

Crew commun cated with by Wireless until answers cease. Efforts lo float vessel (ail.

ELEVEN PERISH.

| (Per Press Association—Copyright.) " (Received -Jan. Hi, S.;»U:i,hi) London. -Jan. I Si During manoeuvres .Submarine A7. i Commander Wfllman. foilndcred in seventeen fathoms at S;ilViLgers are endeavouring h> raise the vessel. The crew were still alive at ! live o'clock. (Received ').') p in.) Yuien the ilotilla surrounding the submerged .Submarine A7 u";is ordered to .-surface tiie vessel -she railed to rise. A warship coinuimiicated with the crew by wireless, and divers also by tapping, but no auwer.s were received after -six o'clock. | Tho earastrophy is attributed to disabled pumps. The salvager.s hnve returned to port and will resume work iu tho morning The death roll is two oilicars and nine petty otlicers and men. London, January 18 Tho eleven victims of the disas'er include Co mm mder Wei man and Sub , t Lieutcujml; Robert Morrison. The sea was moderate when the [ accident occurred. The submarine, ; accon'panied by the I'ijruiy, was | attached to the sedgoin^ depot ship ; Forth. She dived for the purpose of firing* torpedoee, and remaining down an unusual time the Pigmy'd officers became alarmed. They endeavoured to communicate with tho A—7, but recfived no response, except ominous bubbles upon the smoo'h swell which was working over a rotky bottom. They placed a buoy to uurk the wpit, but tho buoy drifted and could not b^ found. Pro'uptsalva^e efforts were made and continued fruitlessly by mea.' s of saarchiight. The officials stated, however, that it was practic illy 'hope loss'o raise >he cr<..\v aliv r>, as there was only sufficient oxygen for six hours. During1 tho p«st t<;:n years two hundred inea have perished iu seven Brrish and nina foreign submariiifi ace'dents. The newspapers, commenting on the successive disasters to the 'A." class submarines, consider their frail hulls nre uufi'ted for even the elementary duties recently assigned to them, exercising within easy reach of the shore. The Adnrr-dty is urged tj supersede them forthwith. The search for the submarine was resumed at daylight, but the depth of wa'er f rbade opening the coniag tower as the inrush of water woull be disastrous. A'l forei^Q powers have sent mosonges of condolence at the loss of the submarine A --7 and her crew.