PERIL OF SUBMARINES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 830, 31 May 1910, Page 5

PERIL OF SUBMARINES.

FRENCH DISASTER. Tiy Tclcimoh— l'rufia Association —CoD3rriCa\ Paris, May 29. In connection with the loss of the French submersible Fluviose (which was struck by the steamer i'as de Calais, and. sank with 27 on board), divers have brought the flag of too Pluviose's danger buoy to the surface. This suggests that the crew were drowned before they were able to release the buoy, which is the first signal of distress. SAFETY HELMETS. BRITISH SAILORS TRAINING IN THEIR USE. London, May 29. Some of the crews of British submarines are training—in a deep tank at Portsmouth—in the use of air-tight helmets and jackets, which contain oxylithe. The latter, when moistened, generates, oxygen. In ease of accident, it is said, the crew of a submarine can don the helmets and open the canning-tower, and the air in the helmets will enable them to rise to the surface. THE GEAR AND EXPERtMENTS DESCRIBED. AIR CAN BE BREATHED AGAIN. The safety helmets were the subject ol a passage in the House of Commons in July last rear between the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. JlTCenna, and Mr. A. H. Lee, who leads the Unionist attack in tho House of Commons as far as iiaral subjects are concerned. Mr. Lee, after referring to the 'loss of twelve lives by the sinking of the submarine C 11., pointed out that on May 7, 1908, Mr. M'Jvenna had promised that orders for these helmets for submarines would be placed at the • earliest possible moment, yet they were not ordered till December IG, 190S, seven or eight months later; why was this? Causes of Admiralty Delay. Mr. M'Kemm replied/ that tho helmeta were a new invention, and there was some difficulty in obtaining them; long before the order was given there were negotiations between the Admiralty and the manufacturing firm. The cost of tilling a submarine with the air-traps or locks required in connection with- the helmets was about .£2OO, and the work took 18 working days. Thb helmet, with its accompanying gear, was invented in 1907, by Commander J. S. Hall (Inspecting Commander of Submarines) and Staff-Surgeon, Oswald Rees (of H.M.S. Mercury). It is claimed that the helmet will enable the crew of a submarine to escape from tho vessel even though it b<l filled witb water or poisonous gases. Problems—and the Solution. Examinations of wrecked submarines after salvage show that the conditions prevailing in the submarine when a large quantity of water enters are such that if life is'to be preserved three definite problems must be solved:— (1) Saving the crew from the effects of noxious fumes generated by the salt water which gained access to the electrical storage batteries. (2) Saving tho crew. from drowning while in the submarine. (3) Enabling the crew to escape from the boat and ascend to the surface. As regards No. 1 and No. 2, it is claimed that the new helmet enables the same air to be breathed by the wearer over and over again; and that a man could thus live in. the most poisonous fumes for aft hour and twenty minutes. As regards No. 3, it was stated' thai special arrangements were being provided in submarines for enabling' the crows to open the hatch of the conning tower under all conditions, so (that they could come to tho surface, where the patent dress would act as a lifebuoy, until they were picked up. "Oxylithe." A London paper publishes the foK lowing description of • tho submarine safety helmet end of an experimental, test: ■ "In appearance the new invention ie like a diving helmet, made of light metal., with a canvis jacket. It weighs only about 101b., and can be attached I in a few seconds.

"The air breathed by tbe wearer is used over and over again. The poisonous carbonic acid gas ot the respired air isabsorbed by a special substance called 'oxylithe,' which also . restores to the air the requisite amount of oxygen and renders it fit again for breathing. "A practical demonstration of the apparatus was given at the works of Messrs. Siebe,. Herman, and Co., Limited, submarine engineers to the British Admiralty. A Test. "The firm have an enormous eiperimental tank, into which Chief Petty Officer Hines, of the Royal Navy, descended, equipped with the new lifesaving device. The nffpct of the apparatus is to bring the person wearing it to the surface, and, consequently. Hines had to wear heavy weights, sc that ho could climb down the ladder tc the floor.of the tank. "There were glass windows in the tank, through which Hines could be seen walking about with as little discomfort as if he were on land. All this time, of course, ho was obtaining no fresh sup. plies of air from outside, the headgear itself giving him all. the necessary oxygen. V "Suddenly Hines released the weights from 'his body, and as would bo the case were he escaping from the conning tower of a submarine he rose swiftly to the surface, where the dress auted as a lifebuoy.", Not a Secret. ■ One of the great advantages claimed for the device is that submarine crews c_an practise with it inthe boat and uuiTer water. Commander Hill said he was not in favour of keeping the patent a. secret. "Thero is no reason," he added, "why foreign Governments, should not use it. After all, it is not an affair, of mural though its moral effect on the crew of a submarine will be enormous." Chlorine gas, which generates immediately sea water gets into the sub-, marine batteries, he stated, was fatal in very small quantities. Even apart from being actually dangerous to life, the smallest trace in the air will cause so much coughing that work is impossible just when it is most needed to get rid of the water in the boat, and perhaps to get her to the surface.