IN A SUNKEN SUBMARINE
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.
One of the most' (remarkable experienees of ilw is thflt of «x British, stoker petty officer, who escaped from 0110 of our submarines which sank some time ago in home waters through au accident. Alone, in almost complete darkness, with the gradually rising receiving electric shocks, and towaids the end suffering from the eftects of chlorine gas and a badly-orusked hand, ho worked for nearly two hour®, keepin his head to the last, and at the attempt to open the hatch succeeded in escaping. When the vessel began to sink ho remained oil board to »ee that; the men were out of tho engine-room. Then his only hope of. escaping drowning was to shut himself in that room. He conceived tho idea of opening the hatch and floating to tho surtace, but ho found 'that the tremendous pressure of tha water outside prevented him moving the hatch He had always accepted the thenrv that tho pressure insido a sunken air-locked vessel could, be greater tliar. that outside. So- to increase the pressure inside he opened a valve ana admitted more water. When ho consider ed the pressure sufficient to blow him out he opened tho hatch, but it instantly closed again. With liis shoulder, and exerting all his' strength, he lifted tha hatch, but again it slammed to, crushing his fingers. With difficulty ho released them, and once more opened the valve and admitted water until the enginoroom was flooded light up to the coaming of the hatch. The air in this confined space was under tremendous pressure, greater than that, of the water outside, so lie was able to open tho hatch, was shot out, and rose rapidly to the surface, where he was picked up by a destroyer. A
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 77, 26 December 1918, Page 4
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297IN A SUNKEN SUBMARINE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 77, 26 December 1918, Page 4
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