nae falling
and all electric power had failed. I then tried to have the gun sight
lighting batteries connected up in an effort to send out a low power
message with them, but it was at once evident that this would not be
practicable before the ship sank. There was no other vessel in sight,
and it was therefore impossible to get through a distress signal of any
kind. Immediately after the ship was torpedoed every effort was made to
get rafts and boats launched. Also, the circular life belts from the
bridge and several splinter mats from the outside of the bridge were cut
adrift and afterwards proved very useful in holding men up until they
could be got to the raft.

STRUGGLING MEN IN THE WATER.

"The ship sank about 4:29 P.M. (about eight minutes after being
torpedoed). As I saw her settling rapidly, I ran along the deck and
ordered everybody I saw to jump overboard. At this time, most of those
not killed by the explosion had got clear of the ship and were on rafts
or wreckage. Some, however, were swimming and a few appeared to be about
a ship's length astern of the ship, at some distance from the rafts,
probably having jumped overboard very soon after the ship was torpedoed.

"Before the ship sank, two shots were fired from No. 4 gun with the hope
of attracting the attention of some nearby ship. As the ship began
sinking I jumped overboard. The ship sank stern first and twisted slowly
through nearly one hundred and eighty degrees as she swung upright. From
this nearly vertical position, bow in the air, to about the forward
point, she went straight down. Before the ship reached the vertical
position the depth charges exploded, and I believe them to have caused
the death of a number of men. They also partially paralyzed, stunned, or
dazed a number of others, some of whom are still disabled.

SAFEGUARDING THE SURVIVORS.

"Immediate efforts were made to get all survivors on the rafts and then
get the rafts and boats together. Three rafts were launched before the
ship sank and one floated off when she sank. The motor dory, hull
undamaged but engine out of commission, also floated off and the punt
and wherry also floated clear. The punt was wrecked beyond usefulness
and the wherry was damaged and leaking badly, but was of considerable
use in getting men to the rafts. The whale boat was launched but
capsized soon afterwards, having been damaged by the explosion of the
depth charges. The motor sailor did not float clear