The Washington herald., 1907-06-13

New York, June l2-Adrift at sea In a
twelve-foot dory for fourteen days. with
out food or water fer eight days, uncon-
scious from cold and hunger, with hands
and feet frozen, and practically blind
when rescued by the Cunard Liner Car
mania was the terrible experience Of
Louis Vollette, a fisherman, who was stlll
alive when he reached port this morning
in the hospital of the steamer.
Vollette, one Of the crew Of the fishing
barkentine Minola, Of ST. Malo. France.
which was fishing off the Grand Banks,
got adrift in a fierce gale and snowstoTm
while he and a fellOw-fsherman were out
taking in the lines, and in the heavy sea
his companion was thrown overheard by
the lurching Of the boat and drowned
On Monday, June 10, the Carmania look
out, IN latitude 1895 north, longitude 54.4S
west called the attention Of Capt War;
TO an object in the sea at some distance.
The captain. with the aid Of his glasses,
discerned a dOry tossing about, and made
out the figure of a man sitting in the
bow and holding an oar aloft as If for
signal As the big liner approached the
tiny craft the man was hailed through
AAAN q AiliNs bAA 4lE saw Il' thltN'A 'tAtA'tt
that he heard, and sat rigidly in the bow
OF the little craft Ike a figurehead.
The news that a man was adrift IN
small boat spread all over the steamer.
and nearly all Of the 1900 passengers
hurried to the decks 10 witness the res
cue which was accomplished in a most
sensational manner Capt. War; decided
that It was too rough to lower a boat, and
there was but one way in which to get
the man aboard. and that was for some
one TO swim 70 the dory and get line
on it.
sunny Jim" to Rescue.
Il did not take Seaman James Breen,
who among the crew is known as sunny
jim" more than n few seconds to volun-
teer, and he stripped for the feat, and
fastened a life line 20 his waist Then
the big steamer was maneuvred IN such
a way as TO bring her as close 10 the
d0ry as possible without running II down.
When within 100 feet Of the small boat
Breen jumped from the deck into the sea.
amid the shouts OF the hundreds Of pas
se0gers who thronged the rails.
As Breen struck the chilling water and
sank below the surface there was some
apprehension. but Immediately his head
appeared and he struck out vigorously
for the boat II could be seen that the
man had the oar between his feet, and
that he never seemed 90 look at those
on the steamer. Hes dead said some
of the passengers.
As Breen reached the side Of the dory
and grasped the rail there was a great
cheer from the Onlookers on the steamer
Give me a hand" yelled Breen to the
silent figure in the bow. but the man
never spoke or moved. Breen realized
that the man was helpless, and after
some trouble the seaman managed to
Chamber into the dory which was rolling
in q dangerous way.
Hauled 10 safety.
Then the rescuar took the oar from the
hands OF the fisherman. and. after right
ing the little boat. he gave the signal 10
those on the steamer 20 haul in Slowly
the d0ry was br0uEh up alongside the
liner, and then Breen took the life line
from his own waist and fastened it 10 the
unconscious fisherman.
With a good heaye by ether members
Of the crew the apparently lifeiess body
Of the man was hoisted to the deck. and
he was al once carried to the hospital
and put i'm charge of Ships Surgeon
Toynton. Breen was next drawn up the
side Of the steamer. and as he landed on
deck and shook the water from MIN. he
got a rousing cheer from the passengers
For nearly twenty hours the rescued
man lay IN the hospital without regain
ing consciousness, and when he finally
was able 90 speak il was 20 complain Of
the pain I'm his hands and feet, which
had been frozen After he had taken
nourishmeut, and his strength returned
in a measure. he said he did not remem-
Der anything after the ninth day that he
was adrift. as 1t is a superstition with a
sailor that If he is not rescued on the
ninth day his case is hopeless
VolIette said he had given himself up
for dead. and had lost consciousness. He
had kept track Of the number of days
he was adrift by cutting n0tches with his