The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-07-16
Indiana Sailor Lives 4S Hours
on Atlantic, Part Of Time in
Open Boat and Rest on the Wave

MARION. Ind, July 1e--Bringing to
Marion a tale as weird and thrilling
as those conceived by Stevenson and
Robertson. master writer's Of sea yarns
In their flights Of widest fancies,
Clarence Dudley. IL, gunner In the
United States naval service, Is Wis
iting at the home Of his uncle. Walter
Tyler. 1911 South Washington street.
1t is no imaginative fancy that
prompts the story the young seaman
has to tell, but stern reality Of having
been aboard an American ship. tor.
pedoed and sunk by German sub
marine, and left to die in the icy wat
ers Of the northern Atlantic. are suffi.
cent reasons to prompt narrative
that Is page stuff.
Aboard Tanker Vacuum.
Young Dudley was member Of the
naval gun crew aboard the Inflated
Vacuum, an American oil steamer
sunk off the coast OF Iceland on April
Is. That he escaped with his life is
q testimonial to the ruggedness OF
physique possessed by the American
jackies after passing through Uncle
Sans training school and seasoned In
the navy.
For forty-eight hours young Dudley
lived on the open Atlantic, part OF
the time floating in the icy waters
and part OF the time tugging at an
oar In q boat with water waist deep.
Clad only in trousers and underwear,
low he and three companions survived
the experience when others died.
seems almost to come within the
realm OF the impossible.
Crew Numbered Fourteen
The gun crew Of which Dudley was
a member numbered fourteen. 1t was
assigned to the Vacuum when Presi.
dent Wilson asked the navy for yolun-
teer gun crews to protect American
ships.
The boat, bound for Liverpool, sail
ed from New York about the middle
Of April and was nearing her desti-
nation via the northern shipping lane
when the boat lookout cried out that
he had sighted a submarine on the
bow.
N Action was quick to follow, and In
Dudley's own words as he explained
the situation this morning descrip'
ton of the sinking OF the ship and the
crews subsequent fight for life 10 CIV
en-. His story follows:
Stern Blown Away
when the lookout called out that
there was q submarine in view the
gun captain commanded US to our
places. and, sighting the U.boat, just
her periscope visible, we Ared at her
only to see her submerge.
Just then we heard and felt the
Jar OF terrific explosion. and, look
ing back, saw that the greater part OF
the boats stern had been blown away.
1--WE lost the chief gunner's mate OF
our crew with the explosion. He had
gone to the stern to get gun equip
rent, and was killed by the exploding
torpedo. We saw no more OF the sub.
marine.
"As the ship began to list and sink
the captain commanded all boats
away, and ordered every man to look
out for himself Life belts were quick
~ grabbed, and we beat 1t for the
boats.
Down In 80 Minutes
Our boat upon landing in the wa.
ter had only six men in 1t, but we
Kicked up twelve more floating about.
We pulled away from the steamer and
watched her sink. She went down
about thirty minutes after being hit.
"The sea was rolling heavily. and
water dashing in over the sides OF our
boat caused the emergency rations to
become watersoaked and worthless.
Without water or food we drifted all
day long and into the night.
"As the night advanced the sea be-
came rougher and then storm broke.
During It our boat slid into the trough
of a wave and capsized, spilling us
all into the water. We drifted in the
icy water for what seemed days. but
which in reality was only few hours.
81 think it was about IL o'clock
when we were thrown into the water.
and 1t was about o'clock that the 4
men besides myself that managed to
stay afloat were able tos vim to a
boat we sighted about quarter OF
mile away.
Men Out Of Head.
I'm the boat were only two men.
both Of whom we were quick to see
were out of their heads. The boat
was half filled with water and they
were rigid with the cold One kept
saving that he could see land. and the
other kept crying for water and food.
They died shortly after We got In the
boat, and we tossed them overheard.
I'VE were ourselves so cold that we