Evidence in the Thetis disaster enquiry was heard today from the distinguished scientist, Professor J.B.S. Haldane, who described how he locked himself for 14% hours in an air-tight steel chamber with foul air to see how difficult it was to use the Davis escape apparatus after such a period and in such conditions.
Professor Haldane described how he put on the Davis breathing apparatus: and for a few minutes breathed quite happily, but was afterwards seized with vomiting and headache. This, in his opinion, suggests the hypothesis that the men attempting to escape from the Thetis underwent similar symptoms, and that one of them may have vomited and torn off the. mouthpiece of the apparatus for that reason.
Describing _anothér experiment, Professor Haldane said he got four friends, who were ' former members the International Brigade engaged in fighting in Spain, to go into the chamber in order to see. whether other people reacted similarly to himself to the conditions of the chamber, which corresponded to the atmóspheric conditions in the Thetis a little after 10 o'clock "in the morning of the second day.
Said Professor Haldane: "One man, Sitting on the floor with his head in his hands ard panting, said he was feeling very bad. He was prepared to-go on longer but I did not want to make him ill.
"People find it difficult even to stand under these conditions. There is certain lack of control of language. One cannot think a problem out at all, and there is-a very marked effect On one's mental faculties."
Describing the -last sensations -of the doomed men, Professor Haldane sold er ould l ba dope stha feelings experienced after. strenuous physical exertion.—Reuter..
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.