All ABOARD DEAD

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1928, Page 2

All ABOARD DEAD

SUBMARINE DISASTER, f (United Service.) LONDON, August 8. 1 The Italian submarine F 14 has been j raised. When the vessel was opened up, the whole of her crew of thirty-one men were found dead. They had been asphyxiated by poisonous gases. j ROME, August 8. I j- he submarine F 14 was brought to the surface within 34 hours of the collision. The final moments of the imprisoned crew were dramatic. A mes- . sage came from within the submarine saying; “We are waiting calmly to be . rescued.” Then (cheerfully): “We are confident you will he no longer than you can help.” The wireless operator continued his messages until he stated: “ Twenty-two of our men are still alive and perhaps—” This message was dramatically broken off ust as the work of raising the submarine began. Apparently the steep slant of the craft as it was being hauled to the surface, upset the storage battery, the fumes from which overcame the men. BATTERIES CAUSE THE TRAGEDY. ROME, August 8. The submarine was raised by means of pontoons. Officials wearing gas masks immediately entered and made the shocking discovery that the crew were dead. It had been feared, owing to the submarine’s slant, that the storage batteries might have upset, thus threatening chloride suffocation, and these fears were only too well realised, though sufficient oxygen to last 48 hours had been pumped into 1 the hull. The crew normally consisted of two officers and nineteen men, hut ten apprentice mechanics from the Aiola naval training college were aboard for the manoeuvres, thus swelling the death roll. GRIM RESCUE WORK. ROME, August 8. Throughout the night the rescuers stuck grimly to the task of struggling for a foothold on the wind-lashed and sea-swept pontoon, slowly drawing the submarine to the surface. Once the submarine heavily canted. It is believed that this caused the ac-id to flow and the accumulators to commence to form the fatal chloride gas, for shortly afterwards the signals ceased.