SUBMARINE ON SEA FLOOR

Southland Times, Issue 23826, 25 May 1939, Page 5

SUBMARINE ON SEA FLOOR

AMERICAN VESSEL SINKS CREW OF 60 ALIVE AND WELL RESCUE EFFORT WITH STEEL BALL (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 24, 9.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 23. The United States submarine Squalus is lying on the sea floor, 240 ft below the surface, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire. More than 60 officers and men are believed to be aboard the sunken vessel.

The submarine Sculpin was rushed to the scene and the Navy also despatched the submarine rescue vessel U.S.S. Falcon from her base at New London.

The Navy authorities said that the men had enough air to last several days and also said that they had talked with the submerged vessel’s commander by radio-telephone. The commander said that all aboard were alive and in good condition, but the submarine was unable to rise as a result of inability to discharge the water taken aboard, apparently as ballast. The Navy officials said that the vessel was equipped with the new type of “lung” with which seamen' can rise from great depths safely. There is one such lung for every man, and spares. The submarine, which was launched last September and was completed only on May 1 has 1450 tons displacement and is 299 ft long. Her occupants included a representative of the contractors. The U.S.S. Falcon is equipped with every facility for assistance and for the removal of the men.

Ten hours after the sinking the following brief message in Morse was received on an oscillograph: “Condition satisfactory, but cold.” Earlier, communication, which has been established through a telephone sent up in a buoy and not by wireless, as was first believed, was disrupted for the unexplained reason that the wire had broken. CAUSE OF ACCIDENT It is now believed that the accident was caused by the flooding of the after engine compartment when an induction valve failed to close. The President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt), who took active command of the rescue operations, said that the first efforts would be concentrated on an attempt to close the valve by divers, after which the water would be expelled, but if that failed an attempt would be made to raise the submarine with special buoys, and as a final effort only would the rescue of the personnel occur by the “lung,” as the great depth increased the danger. Every available rescue craft and all the naval experts of the submarine department are being rushed by air to the scene, where throughout the night searchlights played on the waters. It is believed, however, that the first divers will descend only after daylight. Early this morning it was announced that the first attempt to rescue the crew would be made by means of a so-called rescue chamber—a large steel ball which will be lowered and made fast to the hatch of the submarine. Eight or 10 men will be transferred to the chamber at a time and brought to the surface until all are out.