CREW ASPHYXIATED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 9 August 1928, Page 7

CREW ASPHYXIATED

LOST SUBMARINE.

DIFFICULT RESCUE TASK. PONTOONS SWEPT BY SEA. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright'.) (Australian Press Association—United Service.) ROME, Aug. 8. Asphyxiated by poisonous gases the 31 members of the croAv of the Italian coastal submarine Fl 4 were found dead Avhen the vessel was brought to the surface to-day 34 hours after its collision with the destroyer Missouri during attacking exercises in the northern part of the Adriatic iSea. The final moments of the imprisoned crew were dramatic. A message came from within the sombarine: > “We are Awaiting calmly to 'be rescued.’’ There was then a cheerfully-worded message that they avciv confident the rescuers would be no longer than they could help.

The wireless operator continued the messages until: “Twenty-two of our men are still alive, and perhaps -’’ Thi's last message was dramatically broken off just as the work of raising the submarine began. Apparently the steep slant of the craft as it tvas being lhaulcd to the surface u.pset, the storage battery, the fumes from which over?, came the men.

• Throughout - the night the/ rescuers stuck grimly to .their task, struggling for a foothold on the wind-lashed and sea-swept pontoons, slowly drawing the submarine to the surface. Once the submarine heavily canted and it is believed this caused the acid to flow into the accumulators and commence to form the fatal chloride gas, for shortly afterwards the signals ce'ased. When the submarine was raised officials, wearing gas masks, immediately entered and made the shocking discovery. The fears that t,hc storage batteries might have been upset were only too a veil founded, though sufficient oxygen to last 48 hours had been i pumped into the hull. The croAv normally consisted of two officers and nineteen men, but ten apprentice mechanics? from the A ioin naval training college were aboard for manoeuvres. ' /*