The Bulldozer That Sank a Submarine Panama Canal's Underwater Collision Nobody Reported 1914

Описание: At 4:47 AM on October 12, 1914, a 22,000 pound Holt bulldozer operating 20 feet underwater in Panama Canal's Gatun Lake struck something it shouldn't have a U.S. Navy submarine conducting secret training exercises. What happened next was covered up by both the Navy and the Canal Commission, buried in classified archives for over a century.

This is the untold story of the underwater collision that nearly sank USS C-3 and killed its 15 man crew, documented through declassified Navy logs, Panama Canal Commission reports, and the personal accounts of bulldozer operator Frank Mallory and dive supervisor Jack Holbrook.

THE INCIDENT
In 1914, the Panama Canal Commission deployed 12 experimental underwater bulldozers modified Holt crawlers with watertight compartments and external air lines to clear submerged French equipment from the 1880s canal attempt. These machines operated in near-zero visibility conditions on the bottom of Gatun Lake.

On October 12, 1914, construction foreman Frank Mallory was operating bulldozer Hull Number 847 when his blade struck a collapsed French crane. The impact sent a 7-foot section of crane boom tumbling through the current directly into the bow of USS C-3, a diesel-electric submarine positioned 70 yards away due to a navigation error.

The submarine's forward ballast tank was compromised. When Lieutenant Commander Raymond Applegate ordered emergency blow, the damaged tank failed completely, causing C-3 to angle bow-down at 30 degrees. The resulting pressure wave nearly flipped Mallory's bulldozer.

Both agencies filed separate incident reports. Neither mentioned the other. The collision existed in a bureaucratic void.

THE COVER-UP
Site supervisor Charles Whitman classified Mallory's report as "equipment malfunction." The Navy's report cited "navigation error" and "ballast tank malfunction" no mention of construction equipment or collision.

Why? President Wilson's ceremonial Panama Canal crossing was scheduled for November 3, 1914 just 22 days away. The Navy didn't want to explain how a submarine ended up in a construction zone. The Canal Commission didn't want to explain how their equipment nearly sank a naval vessel.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Holt Underwater Bulldozer (Hull 847):
Weight: 22,000 pounds
Depth capability: 20-40 feet
Operator compartment: Pressure equalized, sealed
Air supply: External compressed air via reinforced hoses
Service life: 1914-1923

USS C-3 Submarine:
Length: 105 feet
Crew: 15 men (2 officers, 13 enlisted)
Class: C-class diesel-electric
Base: Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone
Service: 1914-1919

SOURCES & DOCUMENTATION
This documentary is based on:
Frank Mallory's work logs (National Archives)
USS C-3 deck logs (Naval Archives)
Panama Canal Commission incident reports
Jack Holbrook's 1952 maritime trade journal interview
Isthmian Canal Commission construction records

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This documentary is produced for educational and historical preservation purposes.

No bulldozers or submarines were harmed in the making of this video (except in 1914)