The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-25

aware of the Squalus' plight. Would they succeed in getting divers down in time? How was the weather up there? A storm might mean long delay and any delay would be fatal to 33 men in a steel coffin on the ocean floor.
 Next they heard the scrape of the diving bell as 1t reached the Squalus' upperside. That meant the rescuers had arrived. The hatches were open, a dim light came down from the bell, and the Squalus' survivors had new contact with the living.
 Seven Men Each Trip
 Only seven men could go up with the bell. The others would have to wait until it could be lowered again. Perhaps something might happen to prevent it being lowered again. Then the seven men would live and the rest would die. It was up to Naquin, the commanding officer, to choose. There, under the open hatch, Naquin eyed his men. Most important was to send someone who could make a detailed report if he, the master, didn't survive. He chose Lieut.. John 0. Nichols for that purpose. Then he picked out the six enlisted men who looked the nearest to exhaus- ton.
 Twice more, Naquin had to go through this ordeal-choosing men for life, perhaps condemning the others to death.
 Then, at last, they were all out ex- cept himself and seven others. Per- haps, he had a feeling of relief then. If the bell didn't return, it wouldn't be so bad as though the bell had never come. But 1t returned and, after the seven had climbed into 1t, he climbed in too, the last survivor of the Squalus to leave her.
 Drama Reverts To Land
 That drama out there on the ocean floor IS miles off shore had reverberations that rolled through this old navy yard. They cen- tered in the administration build ing where the wives and sweet hearts of the living and the dead of the Squalus awaited news.
 Torn with suspense, they greeted the earlier dispatches indicating all on board were safe with tears of happiness. With pathetic optimism they interpreted the hammer taps from within the Squalus as meaning that all was well. When an officer read the message from the Falcon Rescue bell going down on first trip"-they laughed the high shrill laugh of persons whose nerves are all but gone.
 When the officer followed this with the announcement that the bell had come to the surface with seven living men, they hugged one anoth- CT, laughed, danced. and almost for got to ask the names of the rescued.
 The names were read. Those who heard the names of loved ones did their best to hide their joy, lest they hurt those who hadn't heard the names they wanted to hear.
 Then came the announcement that 8 men were accounted for as alive and that 1t was believed 26 had periShed.
 Heart Tearing Minutes
 They were heart tearing minutes. those minutes while the officer read the list of the men known to be alive. It was . life list and death list combined. As each name was there came a sob of from some one who cared. The list ran out and those who hadn't heard the names they had been waiting to hear, knew the worst. Bereaved women huddled on the steps. crying. They walked out, aimlessiy, wringing their hands. They stopped harried officers and them to deny the cold facts of that list.
 Several of the wives refused to believe and sat patiently on the steps of the building until near midnight. Not until it was an- that all survivors had been taken from the boat. and that rescue operations had been abandoned un- til morning, did they believe. And even the captain of the yard had to tell them in person that all hope was gone before they would leave.
 The landing of tho survivors was