six o'clock
Even then it was impossible to lift the hatches and go on deck because of the rough sea . Waves mountain high were rolling over the submarine , and to open the conning tower was to invite certain disaster . There was nothing to do but wait . Toward six o'clock Ted made out a long rakish-looking craft that had come up out of the southwest . When it was reported to Officer Cleary and he had looked critically at the vessel for some time he declared finally that it was a destroyer , but yet too far off to hazard any guess as to its nationality . He decided to submerge slightly and watch the craft for a while and , if it proved to be a German warship , to submerge entirely and take chances on the leaky fuel reservoirs . The _ Dewey _ sank at his direction until the conning tower was under water .