Republican farmer., 1918-05-24

OO11A411 OOOV OI1 JuO41O Ill VI A4u0AN
With a companion Stone chung for
80 hours without food or drink to
the under side of seaplane pontoon
before he was saved.
Ensign Stone tells a thrilling story
of how he and a companion, Sub
Lieutenant Eric Moore, of the Royal
Naval Air service, drifted on the sea
from Saturday morning until Tuesday
night before reaching safety. His ac-
count follows:
IT left our station in a British sea-
plane as pilot, with Sub-Lieut. Eric
Moore of the Royal Naval Air. service,
as observer, at 9 a. m. Our duty was
to convoy patrols. When two hours
out, having met our ships coming
from the westward, we thought we
sighted a periscope ahead and turned
off in pursuit We lost our course.
Our engine dropped dead and at 1880
o'clock forced us to land on the sur
face in a rough sea.
I'VE had no kite nor wireless to
cal for help, so we released our two
carrier pigeons. We tied a message
with our position and the word
barred one, flew straight off and
reached home. But the other, which
was white checked, lit on our ma
chine and would not bulge until
Moore threw our navigation clock a.
him, which probably upset him sc
that he failed us.
Heavy seas smashed our tai
! planes, which kept settling. saw tina
they were pulling the machine dow
by the rear, turning her over. w
| tore the off-tail fabric to lessen tn
| impact of the waves. It wasn't an.
use to stop. The tail fiat was smash
ed and it's box filled with water. Thi
increased the downward leverage an
raised her perpendicularly.
I'VE climbed up the nose and :
| the top and to the under side of tn
pontoons.
When I crawled aft for food Moor
saw that I was only helping the ma
chine to capsize. He yelled to m
to come back and did, Just in tim
to save myself from being carrie
down with the tail and drowned
From then on for nearly four day
until picked up by trawler, we wer
continually soaked and dashed by sea
and with nothing to eat nor drink. "
had nothing to cling to and so to kee
from being washed overheard we q
upon the same pontoon and huge
our arms about one another's bodit
for the whole time. We suffere
) from thirst. had a thirst for canine
peaches. Quite a drizzle came o.
| &I1rpnd r
7 our stomachs and Tapped up the moi
} ture, but the paint came OF with sa
| and nauseated us.
Our limbs grew numb. Frol
time to time the wreckage from to-
pedoed ships would pass, Once tW
, full biscuit tins came close enough
, swim for, but by then in our weaker
ed state we knew that we wou
, drown II we tried to get them.
We did haul in third tin and brok
1t open. It was filled with tobacco.
= Every day we saw conveys in tt
distance and vainly waved our hant
, kerchiefs. We. had no signal ligh
! to use at night. Our watches stoppe
and we lost all track Of time. "
= realized how easy it was for sui
( marine out there to escape beir
e spotted. On Sunday night we spie
r a mast head light and shouted. Tt
ship heard and began to circle US. v
saw her port light. She heade
straight toward us until within II
yards. Then, when the crew were vi
} ible on the deck Of the vessel, 81
suddenly put out her lights and tur1
l ed away, She thinks We are Hun.
. said Moore 7 hope she does said
s Then they'll send patrol boats out
get us. We couldn't be worse off
: we were Germans But no resc-
came.
ION MONDAY afternoon a seaplal
came from the eastIt was flying on
9 500 feet overhead. aiming down Il
: channel. 1t seemed impossible tn
o she could not sight US, for the air W
perfectly clear. But she pass
straight above without making al
signal. flew two miles beyond al
, came back on her course. Her o
: server must be sending wireless abo
It u.s. said. Yes, that Is why we 2
Il no recognition said Moore, and nc
d But that plane hadn't even seen US.
It But that plane hadn't even seen us.
i .sOur spirits fell. We hade be
!, afraid OF two things-being picked