Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-03-23

HydropIane Went Wrong and Dropped
to Water With w. E. Doherty, an
American, and Companion While
They Were Searching For Subma-
rines Of ItaIy's Foe.
Milan, .Italy.-William Ellwood Do
herty, a young American whose ca
reer as an air man has abounded in
perilOus adventure, has just added to
his list a fight for life lasting more
than twenty-nine hours in the Wintry
waters 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 a northern gale, and was rescued
when on the verge Of exhaustion.
Austrian submarines were patrolling
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 2 o'clock in the afternoon with an
Italian helper AS daylight was fall
ing 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. Do
herty tore away the drip pan Of the
machine. The two cold, hungry, wa
tersoakcd men used it to bail with. By
working one at a time without stop
ping they were able to keep afoat, al
though every high wave gave them a
fresh drcnching.
They had lost their scant provisions
in the descent to the water, and in
the tossing of the hydrOplane their
cigarettes and matches went over
board
The weather became intensely cold
In the respite from bailing the air
man who was free kept Lookout for a
ship. One came in sight several hours
after dark, but passed on not seeing
the smoke bombs with which the avia-
tors tried to hail it. Throughout the
night and all the next morning the
men relieved each other with the drip
pan bdilcr.
Finally, too tired to work longer and
deSpairing of rescue, DOherty curled
up in the end Of the craft Sleep over
came him. but he had nightmare 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 beth men when night fell once
more Then a torpedo boat headed to-
ward them appeared on the horizon.
They exploded more smoke bombs and
wildly waved their signal flags This
time they were seen. The torpedo
boat approached, lowered Il 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 seaWard, and
the search was confined to an area
comparatively near shore until the tor
pedO boat struck out into the open.
Naval commanders who had engaged
in the early search reported the first
night that DOherty and his companion
probably were lost. Their return to
shore was hailed as little short of mi
raculous.
Dohorty recovered within a day from
the effects of his exposure. Substi-
tutes 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 il search of
further adventure