Submarine Founders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 171, 19 January 1914, Page 5

Submarine Founders

DURIXtt MANOEUVRES. ATTEMPT ED SALVAGE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 18, 5.5 p.m. Loudon, January 17. During the naval manoeuvres the submarine A 7, in charge of Commander W'eliman, foundered in 17 fathoms at midday. Salvagers are endeavoring to raise the vessel. I The crew were still alive at five | o'clock. PROBABLE CAUSE. DISABLED POMPS. London, January 17. AVhen the flotilla was ordered to the surface, submarine A 7 did not rise. A warship communicated with the crew by wireless. Divers also endeavored to communicate by tapping, but received no I answer after six p.m. The catastrophe is attributed to disabled pumps. The salvagers returned to port, 'but they will resume work in tho morning. The death roll is two ollicers and nine petty oilicers and men. ' SISTER SHIP .MET SAME FATE. I / " Times-Sydney Sun Special CalWes. | Received 18, 0.1 p.m. ' J London, January 17. . j The sister ship A 7 was sunk at Plymouth, with all hands, in IUOS. She was launched at Barrow on the same day. There is a hope of saving tne three officers and fourteen men in the submarine. .. '.). FURTHER DETAILS, j PRESS COMMENTS. I THE VESSELS UNFIT. 1 ( ' I London, January 15. ' I The eleven victims of the Whitsand | (not Cawsand) Bay disaster include: I Commander Welman and Sub-Lieutenant' Robert Morison. The sea was moderate. The submar-1 ine was accompanied by the Pigmy, which was attached as a sea-going depot ship. The submarine dived for the purpose of firing torpedoes, and remained below the water for such an unusual > time that the Pigmy's officers became alarmed, and endeavored to communicate but failed to elicit a response. There were ominous bubbles upon the smooth swell over the rocky bottom, and a buoy was placed to mark the spot, but it drifted, and could not be found. Prompt salvage efforts were made and continued fruitlessly by searchlight. The officials stated that J practically it was a hopeless task as the supply of oxygen was only sufficient to [last for six hours. \ Two hundred have perished in ten years in seven British and nine foreign submarine accidents. The newspapers, commenting on the successive disasters to "A Class," consider tliey have such frail hulls as to make them unfitted for the elementary duties recently assigned, namely, of exercising within easy reach of tho shore. The Admiralty is urged to supersede -this class forthwith. The search for the submarine will be resumed at daylight. The depth will forbid of the opening of the conning tower, as the inrush of water would be disastrous. Received 19, 12.50 a.m. London, January IS. Destroyers are swooping the hay, trying to locale the submarine.