NEGLECT IN S-4 SALVAGE IS DENIED BY ELLSBERG

"Any salvage job is a tough proposition," were the words of Commander Edward Ellsberg, U.S.N., at the Union Saturday evening, after he had concluded his talk on "Salvaging Submarines."

During his speech Commander Ellsberg had described in detail the sinking of the S-4 and of the S-51 and had told of the hardships encountered in the salvage of the latter ship, following which motion pictures illustrating the work had been shown.

Denying that there was any criminal neglect of duty in connection with the raising of the S-4, he continued, "Everything possible was done by those in charge to rescue the crew from the doomed vessel, in the light of the then-known circumstances."

When questioned about the length of time it would take to bring the S-4 to the surface, Commander Ellsberg replied, "I have never yet known anyone foolish enough to undertake a salvage job on a time basis." He pointed out that the raising of the ship would be hampered by the fact that it lies in mud, whereas the S-51 rested on clay.

"The best means of saving the men on a sunken submarine," he went on, "is to try to raise the boat in a hurry. This is usually impossible, and no method of removing men alive from a trapped vessel has yet proved satisfactory. My suggestion would be to have a lock arrangement constructed in the submarine, through which the men could pass one at a time, and on the outside have them met by divers with extra helmets, who would accompany them to the top.

"Helium mixed with oxygen as a source of air supply for divers is impractical. The means of utilizing this is still far from a state of perfection, and besides it would cost about five hundred dollars for each diver that went down."

On the subject of the total abolition of submarines Commander Ellsberg remarked, "Submarines will be prohibited as soon as all warfare is abolished. Submarines have practically no use at all except as weapons of war, and I hope that the time will come when all weapons of war are done away with." The Commander said a few words concerning the financial practicality of salvaging sunken submarines: "A ship such as the S-51 costs in the neighborhood of three million dollars to construct; the cost for salvaging, allowing four-hundred thousand dollars for the reconditioning of the craft, is enough below this amount to make it worth while.