Evening star., 1939-05-25


compartment door saved the lives
marine Squalus. told today how he
{ save five men in the next compa,
Il was detailed in charge of tn
room and the after battery" Maness
told neWspapermen. "At the instant
that the Squalus settled to the bot
tom, we were at sharp up angle
and down aft.
The water was rising rapidly in
the after compartment and I
realized that the time was short
If I was to close the bulkhead door.
Due to the angle of the ship and
the fact that the door opened from
down angle, I had to exert all
my strength to swing it into place
Il had partially closed the door
when several men shouted to me
from the rapidly filling after battery.
Held Door Open for Five.
They yelled: Keep it open.
Keep it open Whereupon I let the
door slip back on its hinges to allow
OHara, Blanchard, Isaacs, Boulton
and Washburn to pass through. I'M
mediately swung the door shut, and
turned down the water-tight screw
and walked forward to join the rest
of the crew.
Il realize, of course. that there
must have been men trapped in the
after compartments, but in an emer-
gency of this kind every bulkhead
door in all sections of the ship must
be fastened as measure of safety.
Even those doors forward in the dry
section had been closed.
Il know of only one man that
was shut in the water-filled control
room, John j. Batick I had talked
with him just moment before the
accident.
AT such times as this, there is
no time for sentiment. We are
trained rigidly to act, so I give no
consideration of the fate OF my ship
mates anymore than I would have
expected similar consideration had
I been in their place.
Thought of His Chum.
1T was not until the first impul-
slve action was over that I began to
feel the aWfulness of the mems situ-
alton in the after section. Particu-
larly I thought of Sherman Shirley,
my chum, whose best man I was to
be next Sunday, when he was to
marry a Dover IN. H) girl by the
name of Desautels. In fact, 1 had
talked with him just before our
final dive. I have forgotten now
what he said, but it had something
to do with Sundays wedding. So
when 1 had time to think, hoped
that Shirley was fortunate enough
to be in dry section, though hope
was pretty remote. I don't know
whether l mentioned anything about
my thoughts. But I do remember
hearing Comdr. Naquin ordering no
mention of the men in the flooded
section.
He realized that such talk would
be demoralizing and that nothing
could be done for them anyhow.
Had Access to Storerooms.
1t was our good fortune to have
the storerooms containing food.
flashlights and necessary equipment
In the control room.
We did not have the key so we
broke the lock and each man was
issued Momsen lung for emergency,
although the use of this lung was
not Immediately in prospect. The
only lights we had were hand lamps
and the only food iron rations'
emergency food.
Nobody ate much at any time,
but the greatest lack was fresh
water, the available water having
been tainted. I don't think any of
the men had drink of any kind
from the time of diving until we
were rescued by the Falcon. Il
The cold was penetrating and We
got blankets from the officers quar-
tiers and we sat down or stretched
out to conserve oxygen and energy
The forward bulkheads were soon
opened on the order of Comdr. Ma
quin and those of us who had SUI
vlved were reunited.
wish 10 make 1t clear that
acted according to the requirements
of my duty in closing the bulkhead
door have the utmost sorrow for
my shipmates who died, but I would
not hesitate to do the same thing If
similar circumstances required and 1
want no credit for having carried
out something that any other men,
Der of my crew would have done in
my place"