The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-06-12
Fl. YER SPENDS 80
HOURS ON WRECK
Rescued Man Gives Thrilling
Story of His PeriIs.
ALMOST GONE WHEN SAVED

Ensign Stone and Companion Cling to
Wrecked SeapIane for 60 Hours in
English Channel Without Food or
Water-one Of Most Remarkable In
cidents CT seapIsne Patrol Cooper.
ating With Conveys.
A full report Of the rescue of En-
sign T.. a. Stone, L. $. naval reserve
force, who. with companion. chung
TO a wrecked seaplanc for so hours in
the English Channel without food and
water before being picked up by
trawler, was received by the commit
tee on public information from its rep
resentative in London.
Ensign Stone was given up for
drowned several weeks ago, but after
five weeks in n hospital he has re-
turned to London. The perils through
which the two men passed safely con-
sttute one of the thrilling incidents of
the seaplane patrol cooperating with
the fleet conveys.
81 left our station in British sea-
plane as pilot" said Ensign Stone,
with Sub-Iieut. Eric Moore of the Roy
al naval air service, as observer, at
o a. m. Our duty was to convoy pa
troll. When two hours out, having met
our ship coming from the westward.
we thought we sighted perlscope
ahead and turned off In pursuit. We
lost our course. Our engine dropped
dead and at half-past eleven o'clock
forced us to land on the surface in
rough sea.
Released Carrier Pigeons.
"We had no kite or radio aero to
call for assistance, so we released our
two carrier pigeons. We tied a mes
sage with our position and the word
Sinking on each The first, the blue
barred one. flew straight off and
reached home. But the other, which
was white-checked, lit on our machine
and would not bulge until Moore
threw our navigation clock at him,
which probably upset him so that he
failed us.
"Heavy seas smashed our tail
planes, which kept settling. I saw that
they were pulling the machines down
by the rear, turning her over. At half
past two p. m. we capsized, climbing
up the nose and 'over-the-top' to the
underside of the pontcOns.
sour emergency ration had been In
the observers seat at the back but we
had been so busy trying to repair the
motor and save ourselves from turn
ing over that we did not remember this
until too late. From now on for near
~ four days, until picked up by a
trawler, we We're continually soaked
and dashed by seas, and with nothing
to eat or drink. We had nothing to
cling TO, and so to keep from being
washed overheard we got upon the
same pontoon and Rugged our arms
about one another's bodies for the
whole time.
eve suffered from thirst. I had
craving for canned peaches. Twice a
driZzle came on, wetting the pontoOn.
We turned on our stOmachs and Tapped
up the moisture, but the paint came
off with salt and nauseated us.
Tins Of Biscuit Float BY.
sour limbs grew numb. From time
to time the wreckage from torpedoed
ships would pass. Once two full bis
cult tins came close enough to swim
for, but then, in our weakened state,
we knew that we would drown If we
tried to get them. We did haul In
third tin and broke 1t open. 1t was
filed with tobacco.
ave sighted trawler about six
O'Clock on Tuesday evening. We
waved at her for half an hour before
she changed her course. We were
both too weak to stand up and signal.
We could only rise on our knees.
Moore's hands were too swollen to hold
handkerchief, but I had kept my
gloves on and was able to do so. The
The trawler moved warily around us,
but finally threw life preservers at the
end Of line. yelled that we were
to weak to grasp 1t. She finally hove
to, lowered a boat and lifted us on
board.
Moore lost six toes from gangrene
In hospital. My feet turned black. but
decay didn't set In"
Every machine from the seaplane
base and those from a station on the
French coast had searched continuous
ly for the aviators after the blue
pigeon arrived, as did all the patrols
and destroyers In the area.
Ensign Stone is native of Norfolk,
Va, born July 10, 1891. His mother,
Mrs. Clara Stone, lives at the Red
Gnfa nnn rfnantc Norfolk