FROM A WATERY TOMB

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2775, 19 May 1916, Page 5

FROM A WATERY TOMB

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE OF A

SUBMARINE

By Telegraph—Press Association—Ooryriglt

(Hec. May 18, 7.25 p.m.)

. London, May 17. A thrilling story, is told of a British submarines escape from total destruction by a mine explosion while on a reconnoitring expedition, involving a tliree-nundred-nulo voyage. Slio was -unaided at the time. Her bows were torn off, aer plates crumpled and twisted, , two out of her three forward bulkheads 'were torn to strips, all her glass work, including instrument glasses, was shattered, her bow and one rudder were useless, ■ and the water was spurting in. Ihe crew were sent sprawling on. their faces, let tho little vessel .was so staunch that her torpedoes did not explode; her motors continued working, and her dials wontmued registering. Tho pumps wero not haimed, and they soon got the water down. Tho submarine :then dropped one hundred feet to the I sea bottom. One of the officers says:— There did not seem to be much chance |of us getting up again." The crew of I five returned to their stations before the officer had time to givo the order, and in less than two minutes tho engines were moving, and the pumps working. "Everything was deathly still save the welcome sound of the motors turning. We then roversed the motors, and waited one bad minute. The broken glass began, to rattle, and wo knew we wero moving. We heard the wireless speak, and we know, wo were afloat, mud in less than ten minutes after the explosion we .surveyed' the damage and drove her along under her own power in h hiivy sea, tbe waves smashing against tho sole remaining forward bulkhead."

So tho submarine came.home, dodging tho patrols. But it had accomplished its mission and duly inado its report.