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Show ( American Submarine Destroyed by Explosion I Edison s Invention Cause of Latest Disaster in Navy. New York, Jan. 15. An explosion aboard the submarine E-2. in dry dock at the New York navy yard, caused the death today of at least threo members mem-bers of the crew and injured a number num-ber of others, variously reported at from six to twenty. Ono was killed outright and two died later at the naval hospital at the navy yard. Those seriously injured were taken to the hospital shortly after the explosion ex-plosion occurred, at about 1'45 o'clock p. m.. At 3 p. m. others rescued from the interior of the submarine were brought in The explosion was said to be due to hydrogen gas ignited while the new batteries, invented by Thomas A. Edison, Edi-son, were being recharged. Neiwspapermen were barred from the navy yard and authentic details could not be obtained during the first two hours following the explosion Some reports had it that ten men were in the submarine at the time, and that eight or nine were instantly killed. Several officers who attempted to enter the submarine at the head of a rescue party were driven back by the fumes and it was reported at 3 p. m that a number of ibodies were still in the interior. Four of the injured who were removed re-moved to tho naval hospital just out-sidt out-sidt the yard Wjre thought" by surgeons sur-geons to have little chance for recovery. re-covery. They were L. C. Miles, chief electrician of Brooklyn; John Holsey, seaman, Baltimore; Guy H. Clark, Jr., Frankfort, N. Y., and Raymond Otto, Mlddleburg, N. D. Rear Admiral Nathaniel R. Usher, commandant of the navy yard, was listening to Secretary Daniels' speech on preparedness at the Democratic cluib here when he was informed of the explosion. Tho commandant accompanied ac-companied by an aide of Secretary Daniels at once went to the navy yard and told newspapermen he would make an Immediate investigation. Washington, Jan. 15. Official reports re-ports to the navy department say three men were killed and eleven injured in-jured in the explosion on the submarine sub-marine E-2 today at the Now York navy yard. Rear Admiral Usher, commandant of the yard, made only a brief report giving the number of dead and injured in-jured and added that the latter were badly burned. Officers of the E-2 were Lieutenant Charles M. Cook, Jr., of Arkansas, and Lieutenant Haas of New Jersey. Cook served five years on tho submarine tender ship Tonopah in preparation to i taking command of tho E-2, and Haas Joined the boat a few months after she was ocmmlssionad. Navy officers familiar with submarine subma-rine construction said it was difficult to imagine to what the accident was due, if It was not a battery explosion. explo-sion. The new battery was developed by Thomas A. Edison some time ago to obviate the danger to submarine crews from that source and was tested for months at the New York yard before It was decided to Install one for trial on each of the E boats and also one on one of the L boats now under construction. Representatives of the Edison company com-pany recently asked that ibetter ventilation venti-lation be provided for the E boats, not In order to avoid any anticipated danger of explosion, they said, but to provide for greater efficiency of the battery, and steps were taken in that direction. The submarine E-2 was built in 1910 and displaced 430 tons. She was capable of traveling 14 knots on the surface and 11 knots submerged. In September. 1911, she had a narrow escape from an accident similar to that which befell the F-4 outside of Honolulu harbor. While tho submersible submers-ible was engaged in maneuvers off Brontou reef lightship, Ensign Gillam detected chloric gas when the vessel was submerged fifty feet. Ho ran to the surfaco and the conning tower was quickly opened to give the crew fresh air. Every one of the 19 members mem-bers of the crew", it is said, were more or less affected by the gas, some bleeding from the nose and mouth. As a result of the accident, Ensign Gillam was under medical treatment nt tho naval hospital in Las Animas, Colorado, for several months. Tho E-2 was the only vessel in the world equipped with the Edison nickeled batteries and she mado her first trip successfully with them December De-cember 7, last. With "Lieutenant Chas. M. Cook, Jr., the E-2 made an cxten-sivo cxten-sivo run on the surface, then dived and maneuvered for several hours. Aftor these experiences tho E-2 made a srucce3sful run submerged. The run proved, It was declared on excellent I authority, that tho new batteries gave better speed with less fuel. The E-2 with her sister ship, E-l, were tho first two naval vessels to bo equipped, with th,e Diesel oil-burning, Interior-combustion engines and they wore the first submarines to be equipped with wireless telegraph apparatus. |
