Show navy now ready for or sub disasters divers and equipment prepared to meet future major accidents washington the navy Is prepared to meet the next major submarine accident should one occur with far more promptness and efficiency than was possible when the 8 51 and S 4 sank with a large loss of life A score of expert divers stand ready to provide the human element necessary to using the hoo keyes marking buoys and lung which offer mechanical means of rescue in a large water filled cylinder at the washington navy yard from arom 20 to 25 divers are constantly in training under artificial pressures simulating those to be found at from to feet below ilie surface these men trained by henry hartley assistant in charge of salvage operations on the S 4 and S 51 are graduated after three months and are distributed around the coast at al all places where submarines operate two get U S medals arter after stringent tests to deter determine mine their physical nod and mental fitness for deep sea diving they are trained to work with tools far below the surface attaching pontoons pon connecting airlines and other hazardous tasks are taught thoroughly the idea of such a diving school originated with ith 0 B chief gunner guliner 0 L and aleut henry hartley the former two recently recel the distinguished service medal front from president hoover for developing the file jung device which enables men to breathe while rising from a sunken sub 11 the need for better trained divers and more of them had been abden im pressed on the navy by the S 51 trag edy when n december 1027 1927 the 84 8 4 met mer with a similar fate plans for this training were accelerated with limited funds a diving tank was built at the washington navy nav yard yak the men training part in decem her ber and the lie rest september 24 1028 and were graduated february 1020 theli their final tests revealed five of them were capable of working at a depth of feet two at one at one nt at and 13 at AW feet this means mean according to naval officers that there are always available trained ilav divers rs capable of working in nn any depth of water in which a sub marina briw crew can he be rescued ahrea months course the navy department keeps a list of all these men what their diving record Is tind and where they may ho be reached should a submarine sink a lonk long distant e telephone call or telegram would bring to the aid of the sub a liver diver capable of utilizing the mcclin mechanical devices the navy has ins developed in any depth to feet no st attempt tempt it was said was made to train livers to descend to lower depth delith for with the present structure of they would he crushed should they go below feet and attempts to rescue won would be useless present plans of the navy call for classes of 25 men nt the living diving school constantly the course requires about three mont months hsi As soon as one group Is irad graduated unfed another takes its place enrollment in the course it was said la Is voluntary the divers so far have been recruited from the petty officer class no commissioned officers are included among the se schools Wools present alumni within one year it was said dald work anthe problem of submarine safety carried out oui largely by tin tilt bills bals and frank M globson has produced what the navy regards as almost sure salvation for submarine crews the lung light and compact they can be stored easily in the limited spaces aboard undersea craft the navy has ordered enough of them to provide one for or each man on submarine duty the lung Is merely a breathing apparatus with a rubber tube which may be attached to the nose it does not slip over the hend head as do diving helmets and by ascending slowly while using the devi device ceone one may avold avoid the much dreaded cramps it Is said in addition to tilts this invention the navy now flow has well designed hook book eyes to which pontoons pon may bo be attached to raise sunken craft marker buoys have been developed also rhese simple to release mark for surface bonis boats the spot where the submarine lies |