THETIS INQUIRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 July 1939, Page 5

THETIS INQUIRY

PROFESSOR DESCRIBES EXPERIMENTS

CONDITIONS IN SUBMARINE REPRODUCED.

SLIGHT CHANCE OF ESCAPE INDICATED. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) LONDON. July 20. At the Thetis inquiry Professor Haldane, in his evidence, described a remarkable experiment in which he was locked in an airtight steel chamber for 141 hours, on June 13, in order to reproduce the conditions existing in the Thetis and to determine whether those entrapped were capable of using the Davis escape apparatus. The chamber’s diameter and height were both 6 feet 6 inches.

When Professor Haldane entered at 10 p.m., the air in the chamber contained 2.3 per cent of carbon dioxide, roughly corresponding to the air the Thetis men were breathing at 10 p.m. on the evening after the dive. He slept intermittently, Captain Oram periodically observing his condition from outside. The percentage of carbon dioxide at 8.30 a.m. was 4.7 and rose to 5.35 at 11.15 a.m., when Professor Haldane, panting heavily and suffering from headache symptoms, which became worse rapidly from then on. Captain Oram spoke to him by telephone at noon, telling Professor Haldane he was worse than the Thetis men when Cap tain Oram escaped, seventeen hours after the dive. Professor Haldane left the chamber at 12.40 p.m.. with a viol ent headache, and put on the Davis breathing apparatus. An assistant had to turn on the oxygen tap, because Pro* lessor Haldane was too weak. He breathed ror a short time and then vomited violently and was repeatedly forced to remove the apparatus. The wearer ordinarily controlled the oxygen. His condition corresponded with that of the Thetis men who might have tried to escape after Captain Oram got to the surface.

Professor Haldene added that, accompanied by four assistants, he later entered a chamber in which the carbon dioxide was 5.55 per cent, representing the conditions existing in the Thetis at ten a.m. One man felt very bad. When the carbon dioxide was six per cent, all experienced a marked dulling of their mental faculties. When they left the chamber and breathed by means of the Davis apparatus, three showed acute distress and would be incapable of doing much. The fourth victim vomited violently. If calm, they might have escaped by means of the Davis apparatus from the submarine, but there was a danger of panic with such mental and physical distress. It the men vomited in the flooded chamber they would have been drowned. “It might be of some comfort if I say,” Professor Haldane observed, “that I believe the Thetis victims did not suffer severe pain. They might have suffered headaches. Although the panting sensation is most unpleasant, it is not the intolerable feeling of the bursting of the lungs one might get if buried alive. It could not in any degree be called torture. You gradually get less sensible.” The judge paid a tribute to Professor Haldane’s fortitude. The inquiry was adjourned pending the salvage of the Thetis. ADJOURNED FOR A WEEK SALVAGE OPERATIONS. HOPES OF LIFTING VESSEL TONIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, July 20. After Professor Haldane's evidence the Thetis inquiry adjourned for one week. If the weather is favourable it is hoped to attempt to lift the Thetis at tomorrow night’s low tide.