A JULES VERNE TALE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2648, 17 November 1919, Page 7

A JULES VERNE TALE.

THE GARELOCH SUBMARINE TRAGEDY.

Of the score of thrilling stories which might be told of naval heroism during the war, few, if any (says the Press Association), can rival in dramatic and tragic interest that which happened to a British submarine that went down in the Gareloch, near the Clyde. The episode has in part already been published, as it related to the act for which the late Captain Goodhart<was posthumously awarded the V.C. The submarine was on her trials. She had on board 73 persons, including naval contractors /and men from the yard where she had been built. The order was given for her to submerge, and when she had just gone beneath the surface, to the horror of the occupants water began to pour into her aft, and she descended *stern downwards into 15 fathoms. An inspection subsequently showed that the disaster was caused by the ventilating shafts being left open. Those in the rear of the submarine, 31 in number, were immediately drowned. The fore part of the vessel was shut off, and the 42 who were at that end were saved.

How their rescue was accomplished is a tribute to the skill of the Admiralty Salvage Department, and an episode as sensational as any yet recorded in the pages of fiction. A few hours had passed before divers went down to the submarine on what they considered a forlorn hope so far as bringing anybody up alive was concerned. Getting to the bottom, they discovered . that the stern of the vessel was embedded in many feet of mud. They knocked at the hull, and to their amazement there was k a responsive tapping, which made it known that at least some of those inside were alive. Then Captain Goodhart essayed a task which reads like a tale from Jules Verne. The highpressure air bubbles were brought into use, and the Captain undertook with their aid, to be projected through the conning tower and shot into the water, in the hope of reaching the surface and conveying to the rescue party information as to the condition of those below. He was hurled forward at a terrific speed, but his head, striking a beam in the tower, he was immediately killed. His example was followed by another ship's commander on board, who was fortunate enough to reach the surface, and was caught and saved by the salvage men. Acting on his information, divers again descended, and got into communication with the imprisoned men by means of Morse signals. With marvellous ingenuity the rescuers were able to insert through a water llap which was temporarily opened from the inside a flexible hose, through which air and also Bovril, chocolate, and other sustaining beverages were passed to the interior of : the submarine. The entombed men never lost heart although the chances were that they would never be got out alive. They intended, at any rdte, to make the lightest of their perilous position, and at their' request playing cards were sent down "to beguile the tedium of waiting," as one of them said. Strong wires were put round the vessel, and as the submerged men were provided with air from above, there was no need for them further to conserve their air bottles. These they utilised to blow out the oil fuel stowed forward. With this' gone, the vessel after a time drove upwards at high speed until her bow was well above water in a perpendicular position.

Immediately a big hole was made in her by acetylene burners, and the 42 men .were brought out and conveyed to an infirmary near by r It was about midnight when the submarine rose, and in the glare of the arc lights of the salvage ships they walked or were carried to the infirmary amid the cheers of scores of men who had been aiding them to escape a grave. The submarine spat out fire and smoke, and the last man had not been long rescued before the vessel settled down and slid again to the depths of the loch.

The submarine had been below 24 hours when Captain Goodhart made his ill-fated attempt, and altogether the party were down 57 hours before they were so marvellously saved.