The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-21
1OSSES 20 HOURS
ON ADR|AT|C SEA
Young American Altman Adds to
Long List of PeriIous Ad-
ventures.
RESCUED BY TORPEDO BOAT
Searching for Submarines Of ltaly's
Foe, Hydropiane Goes Wrong and
Drops Ooherty to Water
Seeks Further Adventure.

Milan. Italy.-William Ellwood Doh
erty, young American whose career
as an airman has abounded in peril
GUS adventure. has Just added to his
list fight for life lasting more than
Twenty-Five hours in the wintry wa
ters Of the Adriatic. Once before he
had been stranded in the same sea in
midsummer and collapsed from thirst
and heat. This time he had the other
extreme Of weather, battling with q
northern gale, and was rescued when
on the verge of exhaustion.
Austrian submarines were infesting
the Adriatic while the Italians were
sending troop ships across to Albania.
Doherty set out In a Curtiss hydro
plane to patrol the passage and give
warning of danger. He left laramie
at two o'clock in the afternoon with
an Italian helper. AS daylight was
falling the motor broke down. and the
hydroplane dropped to the water.
Italian vessels were in sight, but
did not see Doherty's signals for help.
With darkness the wind rose and
waves broke over the tiny craft.
Doherty tore away the drip pan of
the machine. The two cold, hungry,
watersoaked men used it to bail with.
BY working one at time without
stopping they were able to keep
afloat, although every high wave gave
them a fresh drenching.
They had lost their scant provisions
the tossing Of the hydroplane their
cigarettes and matches went over
board.
The weather became intensely cold.
In the respite from battling the air.
man who was free kept lookout for
ship. One came IN sight several
hours after dark, but passed on, not
seeing the smoke bombs with which
the aviators tried to hail it. Through
out the night and all the next morning
the men relieved each other with the
drip pan bailer.
Finally, too tired to work longer
and despairing Of rescue, Doherty
curled up in the end of the craft.
Sleep overcame him, but he had night
mare and was reused when a lurch
of the plane nearly spilled him into
the sea. Again he took his turn at
bailing.
The specter of death was before
the eyes Of both men when night fell
once more. Then torpedo boat head
ed toward them appeared on the hori-
zon. They exploded more smoke
bombs and wildly waved their signal
flags. This time they we're seen, The
torpedo boat approached, lowered q
small boat and rescued men and
wreck twenty miles from shore.
Italian craft had been looking for
Doherty and his companion ever since
the machine failed them. Allowance
had not been made for the wind, which
blew the unfortunates seward, and
the search was confined to an area
comparatively near shore until the
torpedo boat struck out into the open.
Naval commanders who had en-.
gagged in the early search reported
the first night that Doherty and his
companion probably we're lost. Their
return to shore was hailed as little
short of miraculous.
Doherty recovered within q day
from the effects Of his exposure. Sub.
stitutes had taken over his patrol
duty in the Adriatic, however, and he
decided to shift his field of activity.
He has gone to Paris and London in
search of further adventure.