Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27
ARMY OFFICER lice
Col. A. D. Kniskern Long in
Cold Storage.
CAUGHT IN L0GAN'S HOLD
Six Hours in Frigid Atmosphere Be-
fore His Knockings Bring Aid
to Him and Companion.

! Special Dispatch to The Star.
| SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. March a.
Barely to escape death in the great re-
| friegrators OF the United States Army
transport Logan was the experience OF
Lieut.. Col. Albert D. Kniskern OF 1921
Elmwood avenue. Berkeley. purchasing
commissary OF the transport service.
| Just before the troopship last sailed for
the Philippines, few days ago. he was
locked In the Icy cold storage compart-
ment with a companion. Both were in
peril of confinement in the frozen tenn
perature at the bottom OF the ship until
the vessel reached Manila, a month later.
Death was the only apparent promise OF
| relief from the torture which the two
men faced.
| Army officials have kept the facts quiet
The secret came out only today.
How It Came About.
| Col. Kniskern, as purchasing commits
sary of the transport service. has charge
of all army purchases shipped out OF San
Francisco. The Logan had been delayed
by troops from the east. The day be.
fore she sailed the last Of the refrigera-
tor goods were stored in the vessel.
| Col. kniskern and Sergt c. A. Smith
| went into the cold storage hold to make
a final inspection before the compart-
ment was locked for the voyage. When
the officer entered the room was lighted
| by electric lights. Without warning the
| lights went out. The officer and his aid
found themselves in the depth Of the ship
| with no means Of making a quick escape
| from their icy prison.
Carefully they CROPPED their way to the
wall Of the. compartment and worked
around to the door, To their horror they
found the great double, sef-iocking doors
of the icehouse shut.
Through the steel keel of the ship they
coud hear the great propellers OF the
ed the troopship had started on its way
to the orient
Made desperate by the terror OF the
situation they threw all their energy into
beating at the prison door which barred
them from the world.
Hour after hour passed. The pro-
pellers turned and rested and the yes
sci rocked in the tide. The soldiers
did not know that the lines had been
cast off and the voyage had begun.
Six Hours in Cold Storage.
One. two. three. four. Ave hours
passed in the terrible vault. The arctic
temperature froze and stiffened the
men. but they fought OF the chill and
battled and battered on the great doors
For six hours they made their resoluts
| fight.
Then down the companiOnway OF the
vessel passed a sergeant. making his
rounds on the ship. The men in the
prison could not hear his footsteps. blu,
the sergeant heard the faint rappfngs
| of the lncarcerated.
| He could not locate nor define the
sound. But the regularity OF the taps
moved him to make a report to the Of
| f1cer of the ship. 1t was Immediately
ordered that the refrigerator be opened
| AS the great doors swung out. Col
Kniskern and his companion tottereo
! into. the light and fell exhausted, numb
| fainting across the threshold.
Mrs kniskern when seen at hei
home in Berkeley today stated that Col
| Kniskern had now recovered from the
effects Of his dangerous experience. and
| that It was believed that his health
was in no way permanently affected by
the ordeal he had undergone.