Evening star., 1922-02-05

water in the main tank was being
pumped out. The electric light was
extinguished and the gauge was in
visible, but it seemed the water in
the main tank was completely pump
ed out.
THE electric current has now be-
come useless and the handpump is
our only hope. The vessel is in
darkness and I note this down by
the light through coming tower. at
11:45 am.
esT~HE crew are now, wet, and it is
= extremely cold. 1t is my opin-
ion that men embarking in subma-
rines must possess the qualities OF
GOODNESS and nerve and must be ex-
tremely painstaking: they must be
brave and daring in their handling
Of the boat People may laugh at
this opinion in view of my failure,
but the statement is true.
I'VE have worked hard to pump out
the water, but the boat is still in the
same position. 1t is now II o'clock.
The depth of the water here is about
ten fathoms.
1.-The crew Of a submarine should
be selected from the bravest, the
coolest, or they will be of little use
in times Of crisis-in such as we are
now. My brave men are doing their
best. -
81 always expect death when away
from home. Ny will is. therefore.
prepared and is in the locker. But
this is my private affair. I hope Mr..
Taguchi will send it to my father.
"A word to his majesty. the en-
peror. 1t Is my earnest hope that
your majesty will supply the means
of living to the poor families of the
crew. This is my only desire. and I
am so anxious to have it fulfilled.
MY respects and best regards to
the following:
Admiral Saito, minister Of the
navy: Vice Admirals Shimamura and
Fujii, Rear Admirals Nawa, Yama-
shita and Narita-the air pressure is
so light that I feel as if my ear
drums will be broken-Capt. Matsu-
mara, Lieut.. Commander Matsumara
(this is my elder brother), Capt. Fun
akoshi. Mr.. Naritan and Mr.. Ikuta.
It is now 1880 pm. My breathing Is
SO difficult and painful.
IT thought I could blow out gaso-
line, but I am intoxicated with 1t
Capt. Nakano-it is now 12:40 pm"
WHAT was meant by the dying Of
w fcer in his reference to blowing
out the gasoline will remain a mys-
terry and a matter Of conjecture for
all time. It is considered likely that
the gasoline may have caught fire in
some way and that the suffocating
man may have tried to "blow OUT
the blaze. The sensation of being
Intoxicated" was undoubtedly the
feeling experienced by a tortured
body and a mind wracked by nearly
fourteen hours Of mental anguish
attending the knowledge that he and
his fearless men were about to die
slow death. like rats in trap. In
such state it Is not unlikely that
gasoline fumes or flames, as the case
may have been, would have caused
exhilaration or taken on fantastic
shapes
The incoherent reference to capt.
Nakano" in the closing words is TAX
en- to be a last minute addition to the
list Of those to whom the heroic COM
mander wished to tender his regards.
Lieut.. Sakuma's fear that the ILL.,
fated end Of his majesty's submarine
might have a deterrent effect on plans
fostered by the imperial navy for
the development Of underwater
methods of transportation was nat
ural, when the fact is taken into con-
sideration that, tho accident took
place four years before the European
war broke out, before the hard les