THE SUNKEN SUBMARINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 197, 24 September 1909, Page 4

THE SUNKEN SUBMARINE.

SALVAGE ABANDONED. London, September 19. Tfie Admiralty has abandoned salvage operations at the submarine CU, which was sunk in a collision off Yarmouth on July 14. SUBMARINES' DEATH ROLL. Late on the night of July 14 the Hull steamer Eddystone. ran into a submarine flotilla, and crashed into Cll, which oank in 35 seconds, 13 of the crew going to the bottom with her. Only three were saved—two lieutenants and a seaman. In the confusion, submarines ClO and Cl 7 collided, the latter being badly damaged. Shortly afterwards the flotilla, minus, of course, Cll, took part in the naval pageant in the Thames. Every man m every crew was an intimate associate of the poor fellows who were drowned. They spoke of the tragedy with a curt note of sadness, but without a suspicion of a desire to be relieved from their seemingly perilous service. Quite the contrary. A commander of the flotilla

stated (hat for every vacancy on a submarine there were three volunteers, whether it lie for a n officer or a seaman; that the authorities are well able to pick and choose; anil that the standard of efficiency exacted is higher than of any other branch of the service.

This is the third occasion (apart from gas explosions) upon which tb.9 British submarine flotilla has suffervd grievous disaster, attended by deplorable loss of life. On March 18, 1904, when some of the earliest submarines were manoeuvring in the neighborhood of the, Nab lightship, outside Portsmouth, at the conclusion of the day's work Al did not put in an appearance, and it was afterwards established beyond a doubt that she had beea strusk when submerged by the Berwick Castle, one of the Union-Castle mail steamers.

and her hull damaged so seriously that «hc foundered. Two officers and all the crew of the submarine were drowned.

On June 8, 1905, A 8 went down ills'-, outside Plymouth breakwater" with '8 men on board, four only of whom were saved. The evidence showed that ra the case of this boat she was gradually settling down by the bow through water entering at a leaky rivat into one of the tanks at the fore end, and that-.ho suddenly plunged into the water bow Srst with her conning tower hatch open. Her buoyancy was thus lost, and she sank, only those who were outside being saved.

A third boat went to the bottom in October, 1(105, while taking in water ballast, but in this ease the officers ai 1 crew were saved. Other mishaps which have occurred have been, as a rule du; to explosions of gas. The worst accident of this description occurred to A 5 a short time before the loss of AB. The explosion was due lo a leaky gasoline pump, and several members of the crew were killed or afterwards died of their injuries. The last accident of this kind took place on June 13, 1907, on board CS, when Lieutenant Hart died of the injuries he received, and two other mra were badly hurt.