Boston, Sept. 26 (AP)—Thirty-four members of the crew of the submarine S-51 lay imprisoned at the bottom of the Atlantic today after their vessel was rammed last night by the steamer City of Rome, of the Ocean S.S. Company, on her voyage from Savannah, Ga., to Boston. Three survivors were picked up by the steamer and it was a matter of conjecture as to whether the remainder were drowned or were alive in the underwater vessel.
While a fleet of rescue craft from Newport, R.I., New York City and New London, Conn., the submarine’s base, was rushed out to the point 20 miles east of Block Island where the disaster occurred, those on shore eagerly awaited news of the crash. The City of Rome was proceeding to Boston, and Capt. Diehl, her commander, gave no details in his first message to officers of the company. She was due to reach Boston some time this afternoon, and it was said she might not arrive before 4 or 5 o’clock.
Hope that the 34 men who went down with the S-51 might still be alive was increased when the destroyer Putnam, sent to the scene from the naval training station at Newport, sent a wireless message saying they had discovered what apparently was a buoy made up of a bunch of life preservers.
Naval men at Newport express the hope that the buoy had been floated out of the sunken craft by members of the crew who might be alive and wanted to give their position beneath the water.
Men rescued by the City of Rome were Dewey Kile, F.F. Lire, and A. Gler, all members of the engine room force, according to a message received at the Boston Navy Yard. “Nothing else could be found,” said the message. “An oil spot showed up where the S-51 went down.”
At New London, from where the S-51 sailed on September 20th for a practice cruise, naval officers and the fact that the oil showed upon the surface of the water did not necessarily indicate that the craft was a total wreck. They said she might lie at the bottom of the 125 feet of water with all her hatches closed, and many of the men in her alive.
Ships being rushed to the aid of the submarine besides the Putnam include a salvage ship with diving and hoisting apparatus from Newport, three submarines from New London, and the salvage ship Vulcan, form New York. Efforts were being made to communicate with another salvage ship somewhere at sea. No ships are being sent form the Boston navy yard, although a rescue vessel stood by throughout the night waiting for orders to proceed.
It was not believed that the City of Rome sustained any damage from the crash with the submarine. Her captain’s message indicated she was in good condition and proceeding to Boston.
Efforts to learn details from him by wireless were futile, and it was not expected he would tell his story until the ship reached port. The City of Rome plies regularly between Boston and Savannah, with freight and passengers, and follows the outside course around Cape Cod. It was reported she might come through the canal today, however, but officers of the line were without advice on this score.
Radio messages received from New London stated that the Chawink and the submarines S-1, S-3, S-49 and S-10 were being sent to the scene of the collision. They will endeavor to locate the sunken vessel with listening gear. The commander of the control force, it was reported, was proceeding to the scene on the Camden. The Camden is a 9,000-ton auxiliary cruiser.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, September 26, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-09-26/ed-1/
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