THE SUNKEN SUBMARINE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 5

THE SUNKEN SUBMARINE.

;'; SALVAGE ABANDONED. ' (By Totefffnpl).—l'rc»a Ansocl&tlon.-Gopjrlelil.l !; .""•.''■''.'.■■ London, September 19..... The Admiralty has abandoned 6alvage operations at the s'ubmarino Cll, which was sunk.in a collision-off Yarmouth on July 14. :. •''.'. ... ' ,' .SUBMARINES'* DEATH TOLL. • '." Lab)'oh the night of July 14 the .Hull steamer IMdystono ran .into a submarine flotilla, and crashed; into Cll, which sank in 35. seconds, 13 of her crew going to tho bottom with her.- Only three were saved—two lieutenants' and a 6eaiuan; , In tho confusion, - submarine's CIC and Cl 7 collided, tho latter being badly damaged.- '■■■■.■.,,','.'. Shortly afterwards. the . flotilla, . minus, of. course;. Cll, took part in . tho naval,pageant in the.Thames.. Every, man in every crew was an, intimate associato of the poor 'fellows-who were .'-'drowned. .'.''i'hey spoke, of the tragedy with a curt note of sadness, but without a suspicion of a,desire to bo relieved from their seemingly' perilous service. .Quite the contrary.: A commander of ■ .the flotilla stated/ •that for cvety vacancy, in a'submarino there | are" throe volunteers, whether it bo for an officer or a seaman) that the authorities aro well able to pick and choose; and that tho standard of efficiency, exacted is higher than that of any other branch.of the service. .-.• I > This is the third occasion (apart from gas explosions) upon which tho,British submarine flotilla has suffered grievous disaster, attended '.by-deplorable'loss-of life. On March 18,' 1904; when some of the earliest.';submarines wero manoeuvring I ', in tho neighbourhood of the Nab lightship, outside Portsmouth, at the conclusion of the day's'work Al'did not Jilt in.an| appearance,' aud'it was.afterwards .established, beyond a doubt that been struck when submerged by the Berwick Castle, one of tho Union-Castle mail steamers, and her hull dam- • aged, so seriously that 6ho foundered. Two i officers and all the crew of the submarine- were drowned. .',-■ ,••..'.■■ ■ ,•-..,"

On Juho 8, 1905, A 8 front down just outside Plymouth breakwater with .18 men on board, lour only of,whom were.saved. Tho evidence showed that in the case of this boat .she-.wis gradually settling. down by the bow through .water entering at a leaky rivet into ono of the Units at tho fore end, and'that she suddenly plunged into the water bows.first with her conning tower hatch open. Her. buoyancy was thus lost, and she sank, only those who were outside being saved. ' :•'.' , ,*£ thi rf, Bo at went to the bottom in October, 1905, while taking .in water.-. ballast/ but in ,™ °as? the officers and crew were ■ saved. Other mishaps which havo occurred hove been as .a rule, due to explosions of gas. The worst accident of.this description occurred to Aa'a short: time before tlio loss of AB. The explosion was duo to a leaky'gasoline pump, and several members of. the . crow were killed or Mterwards died. of. their injuries.: The last ?,«'' ent fr t) ,"s„ kin i took P ,aco on Jun e 13,' l!)07,.on board CB, when Lieutenant Hart died of the .injuries he received, and. two other men wcro badly burnt. ... ■■ .