(Continued from page 7) escape apparatus, and-one of these was Captain Oram, who with great gallantry took upon himself, before he knew that the me had been sighted, to escape/irpm the Thetis under conditions which he realized as most dangerous, in order to direct operations.
Captain Oram reported that conditions in the submarine were becoming bad, although all aboard was still alive.
Later, two more came to the surface, and as soon as possible a driver from the Vigilant went down but had the greatest difficulty in working.
An endeavour was made to lift the stern of the submarine still higher with a view to cutting a hole above water as soon as conditions allowed.
To have attempted to cut a hole in the conditions then obtaining would have incurred severe risks of flooding, which would have. been unjustified.
Later, a fresh effort was made to lift the stern, but this was again unsuccessful, as the Thetis was becoming less buoyant, It is believed that three men were killed when trying to escape with the first party and taken back into the submarine. No further escapes could be made by the Davis apparatus.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.