Courier Democrat., 1916-08-17
ALONE ON RAFT
FOR four DAYS
Sole Survivor Of Torpedoed
Ship Describes Experience.
HIS COMPANIONS WENT MAD

Had Almost Given Up Hope When
Vessel Appeared and Sent Rescue
Boat-suffered From Hunger, Thirst
and Cold, but Wouldn't Give Up.
| Honored by Government.
The sole survivor of the Amiral
| Charner, French cruiser torpedoed in
the Mediterranean on Feb. 8, reached
| Toulon the other day. BY name Jo-
seph Carroie, quartermaster gunner
he comes from Quimperle, in Brittany,
where he was born some thirty years
ago. He has written the following
story describing his adventures. He
has received a war cross with palm
| I'VE were near Beirut, about ten to
| fifteen miles from land. l was on the
aft deck. The weather was quite fine.
not very cold and very little wind
Hearing dull sound and the ship Civ
ing heavy vibration, we ut once
thought it was a torpedo because the
evening before as We left the island Of
Rouad a submarine had been report
ed. The vessel began to sink at the
bow and then capsized almost at
once. l was trying to pull off my pea
jacket, but had not time, being thrown
against the rail and taken down with
the boat.
when l reached the surface again
I found myself beside some wreckase.
Il chicken coop. l remained on it for
about an hour. and then | saw Il raft
passing There were already five or
six or our fellows on it, AS others
were approaching we We're forced to
swim for pieces of plapks to strengthen
the raft 1t was now $50 or quarter
to and we were crowded with four
teen; we had neither food nor water.
''The first day was very calm, quite
fine. The raft being overloaded we
were all but swamped.
I'm the night, about 10, a quarter
master went mad. He insisted that
somebody should go and get him Il
drink. He moved from end to end of
the raft. which he capsizcd
Storm on Second Day.
There was heavy storm the second
day, with a strong east wind, which
drove US from land, and it rained We
had to cling to the raft to keep from
being swept away. BY the end Of the
| day three died almost at the same time,
all in the same way. They went mad
and jumped into the sea. One was a
boatswain, who kept on demanding to-
bacco us hard as he could. In the
night we were only three-a quarter
master nurse, who suffered terribly in
the stomach and Il sailor. Il Young
man. who was no longer capable of
! speech.
During the third day the weather
was quite fine. About 10 o'clock the
quartermaster nurse went mad. He be-
| leved he could see torpedo boats ev-
erywherc as he scanned the horizon
He insisted on me sending him ashore
to eat in restaurant. About 5 in the
afternoon he threw himself into the
sea. Only the sailor remained. and he.
about II or midnight, also dropped off.
l did not see exactly how it happened
| "Then remained all alone two days
and three nights. suffered most from
thirst and cold. l rinsed my mouth
with sea water, but five minutes after
l was more thirsty than ever. l cut
the tip of my little finger with knife
l found on the raft and sucked the
blood, but could not swallow it.
tried to open vein in my left arm.
but l could only uncover one.
"The fourth day, in the morning, l
saw a fishing boat, and l made signals
as best l could with an oar and my
underwear for a flag. The sea was
high, and l was not seen 1 passed
| the day clinging to the raft. During
the night the wind was very calm, but
the cold tortured me. 1 was obliged
to let myself into the water to get Il
little warmer.
''The last day, Saturday, the sea was
calm. l had entirely lost hope and
said to myself that my turn had come
to take to the water like the others,
and kept asking myself whether it
would not be better to finish it off at
once. 1t was the thought my family
which prevented me. l became drowsy
[ don't know how many times When
| woke up again my courage had re-
turned
"About on Sunday morning 1 saw
the fishing boat, and stood up to
make signals, but I could not keep
upright for more than five minutes.
When the boat was sure that it was
not a periscope she hoisted the seen
signal and put out whaleboat to res
cue me. I was very happy, but as
calm as am now, only could hardly
speak"