DIVE TO DEATH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 437, 7 February 1912, Page 5

DIVE TO DEATH.

SUBMARINE TRAGEDY

FOURTEEN LIVES LOST.

NSy Telegraiih.—Press Association.—Oopyrign* London. Monday.

After the Jos3 of submarine A3 warships and tugs carried out sweeping operations in spite of snow squalls, and located the sunken submarine in seven fathoms of water, closa to the spot where Submairne Al came to grief in 1904. Divers descended at daybreak. The strong current make 3 the Work of salvage difficult. The Hazard was steaming at the rate of 10 knots , and was supposed to be attacked by the submarine. Those on the cruiser observed A3 dive 2000 yards away. The submarine was not seen again, thougn the col'ision was felt.

Her commander probably intended to cros3 the course of the Hazard, and attack her from the other sido. Instead of this being effected the conning tower struck the side of the Hazard, and a blow from the gunboat's propeller gave the coup-de-grace. • ' ' ,

The A Class of submarine is not furnished with the chemical respiration helmets which are served out to the new submarines.

In any case the inrush of water would have overwhelmed the crew before they could have donned the apparatus.

The manoeuvre which proved fatal in this case is a common one, and submarines carry out similar exercises on five days in the week, often making 20 attacks. The reason so many officers were on boar 1:! was that they were undergoing an instructional course.

Lieutenant O.nand, who had been married for only two months, had replaced the commanding uiiicer, who was absent on leave.

Lieutenant Campbell, one of the victims, was a son of Mrs Patrick Campbell, the actress. Lieutenants Ernest Thornton and Leonard Richardson were also drowned. The Kaiser and M. Fallieres have telegraphed messages of sympathy.