Plymouth. Eng., Jan. 18—A dozen torpedo boat destroyers and minesweepers plied up and down Whitesand bay from early morning today until darkness set in, but failed to locate the submarine “A-7” which sank during maneuvers Friday.
Plymouth, Eng., Jan. 18.—An all-day search by a fleet of torpedo boats, to which were attached cables to sweep the bottom of Whitesand bay, failed to locate the sunken British submarine A-7. When darkness fell Saturday the commanding officers reluctantly ordered the vessels to return to their moorings.
Although hope of any of the crew of 11 being alive was long ago given up—six hours being the maximum time they could breathe after the vessel sunk—the search will be resumed at daylight.
The hunt has been made more difficult by the fact that the buoy, which the parent ship placed when the submarine was missed, was driven out to sea, and it is believed that the submarine itself drifted and probably lies at a depth of 30 fathoms.
Many theories have been put forward to account for the accident. A-7 with A-9 had been ordered to attack a destroyer with torpedoes. A-9 fired hers, but A-7 did not.
Nothing has been heard of the A-7 since, and it is believed that the machinery got out of order or the men were overcome by gas.
The submarine A-7 was one of only three vessels of her class remaining in the regular flotilla. The others are being utilized for purposes of instruction.
Commander Powers Symington, naval attache of the American embassy, called at the admiralty today to express regret in behalf of the navy department.
Lieut. Gilbert Molesworth Welman, who commanded the A-7, was the nephew of Lady Molesworth, whose death from the sting of a wasp occurred Sept. 26 last. He succeeded to her Trewarthenic estate in Cornwall.
The lifting craft specially fitted for raising sunken submarines cannot reach the scene of the disaster before Sunday might, and the authorities say that there Is small chance of raising the boat before Monday, even if she should be located.
Daily Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME, January 19, 1914