Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-21

i
ing from the westward, we thought v
turned OF in pursuit. We lost our CT
1880 o'clock forced US to descend
I'VE had no kite nor radio to ca
two carrier pigeons with message {
on each. The first flew straight of al
our machine and would not bulge un
til Moore threw our navigation clocl
at him, which probably upset him 81
that he failed us.
EIGHTY HOURS STARVATION
Heavy seas smashed our tai
planes, which kept settling and finall,
stood perpendicularly in the air. Al
$3.50 p. m. we capsixed, clinging onts
the nose and over the top to the under
side of the pontoon.
"Our emergency ration had been or
the observers seat at the back but
we had been so busy trying to repair
the motor and save ourselves from
turning over that we did not remem
Der this until too late.
For nearly four days, until we were
picked up by a trawler, we were thor
oughly soaked and dashed by seas and
had nothing to eat or drink. We had
nothing to cling to-, and so to KEEP
from being washed overheard we got
up on the same pontoon and Rugged
our arms about one another's bodies
for the whole time.
We suffered from thirst. I had a
craving for canned peaches. Twice a
drizzle came on, wetting the pontoon
We turned on our stomachs and lap.
ped up the moisture but the paint
49, NJ
MISTAKEN FOR HUNS
"Our 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 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. It was filled
with tobacco.
Every day we saw conveys In tho
distance and vainly waved our hand.
kerchiefs. We had no signal lights to
use at night. Our watches stopped
and we lost all track of time. We re.
allied how easy 1t twas for subma.
rine out there to escape being spotted.
On Sunday night we. spied a masthead
light and shouted. The ship heard and
began to circle us. We saw her port
lights. She showed red. She headed
straight towards US until within hun.
dred yards. Then, when the crew were
visible on the deck, she suddenly put
out her lights and turned away.
She thinks we are Huns said
Moore.
I hope she does said L. then
they'll send patrol boats out to get us.
We couldn't be worse OF IL we were
Germans But no rescue came.
IGNORED BY sEAPLANE
con Monday afternoon a seaplane
appeared from the east. It was flying
only 800 feet overhead, aiming down
the channel. It seemed impossible
that she couldn't sight US for the air
was perfectly clear. But she passed
straight above without making any
signal, flew two miles beyond and
came back on her course.
Her observer must be sending a
wireless about u.s. said.
Yes, that is why we got no recog.
nftion, said Moore, and now she's de.
cided to go back and report
But that plane hadn't even seen U.S.
Our spirits fell. We had been
afraid of two things: Being picked up
by neutral ships and 1nterned or cap
tured by an enemy submarine. Now
We even hoped that the enemy-any-
thing-would get us to end 1t all.
RESCUED BY TRAWLER
1--WE sighted a trawler about p. M
on Tuesday. She had been chasing
a submarine and did not take us seri-
ously at first. 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 to our knees. The trawler moved
warily around US but finally threw life
preservers at the end of line. I
yelled that we were too weak. to grasp
them. She finally hove to, lowered a
boat and lifted us aboard Then we
collapsed.
oANoRENE FINDS VICTIM
81 remember asking for drink and
getting water. The skipper would let
US take only sips but he left bottle
alongside me and I drained It. He
gave us biscuits but we couldn't chew
or swallow them. / asked for peaches
and 1t almost seemed that my dreams
of them had come true when he
showed things between my teeth. We
felt no pain until our clothing was rip
ped of and blood rushed into our
swollen legs and arms. Moore lost six
toes from gangrene. My feet turned
black but decay didn't set in.
Every machine from the seaplane
base and those from station on the
Rronch coast had aearched continually
for aviators after the pigeon had
homed, as did all the patrols and de-
stroyers in the area"
ALBA III. S. CLASS
PLAY WAS SUCCESS
Abba, May 1s.-Wednesday evening
occurred the senior class play, What
Happened to Jones'" Miss Margaret
Mussetter, the trainer, deserves
great deal of credit for her part in
making II a success. The parts were