ARMY & NAVY: Off Provincetown

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All that came to the surface of the Atlantic from the wreck of the submarine S-4 off Provincetown, Mass., was a chief petty officer's waist- coat.

Upon the usually placid sea of public opinion the disaster roused a storm of indignation which the Navy Department had to weather the best it could.

Questions hurled at Secretary of the Navy Wilbur included the following:

1) Why were the six survivors in the torpedo room not immediately safeguarded, when divers first reached the 54, by attaching airlines to the ship's "ears" (S. C. Tubes), as was done when too late, instead of to the ballast tanks, as was done at first?

2) Why was the sunken S-4 "lost" during the rough weather that prevented diving, causing further delay until the wreck was found again and rebouyed?

3) Why did no tender accompany the S-4 on her practice run, to warn away other ships?

Two aunts of one of the drowned officers telegraphed Secretary Wilbur such questions. Newspapers hounded Secretary Wilbur with such questions, several of which he said were "based upon misinformation."

Answer. One of Secretary Wilbur's most important answers was that the airline had been first attached, not to the S-4's ballast tanks, but to her general air supply system. When this system was found to be damaged, the air was transferred to the S-4's ballast tanks. Secretary Wilbur did not know why the air had not been transferred to the "ears".

Admiral Charles F. Hughes, Chief of Naval Operations, said tha transferring the airline to the S-4's "ears" had required special pipefitting which could not be . got ready before rough weather halted diving operations.

Investigations loomed. Secretary Wilbur ordered a naval court of inquiry to sit in Boston. In the House of Representatives, three resolutions demanded reports, not only on the specific subjects of the S-4 disaster and safety devices for submarines, but on the efficiency of the Navy in general. Speaker Longworth of the House declared such inquiries would await the findings of the naval court.

Looking harassed and anxious, Secretary Wilbur spent Christmas even seeing and hearing more for himself at Provincetown. He ordered the S-4 to be salvaged straightway. The divers tunneled under the S-4 in two places, to attach lifting chains. The Atlantic raged, delaying the work.

Returning from Provincetown, Secretary Wilbur said: "It is the business of the submarine to be on the lookout for and immediately sight surface vessels. Therein lies their whole offensive strength. If they can't protect themselves in peace time from surface vessels which are unaware of their whereabouts, well—!"

Devices. Inventors and ingenues, marine experts and housewives, Navy men and newsboys suggested schemes and devices by which the disaster might have been averted.

Dragging Ashore. Old salts of Provincetown early suggested hitching the whole rescue fleet to the S-4 and dragging her to shallow water. Rear Admiral Frank Brumby, in charge of the rescuers, said that would tear the bottom out of the torpedo room and drown the six survivors at once.