The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-06-17
French Ensign and His Mate
Driven 80 Miles by the
Wind and Sea
ESTABLISH RECORD
THROUGH ACCIDENT
Tried in Vain to Sight a Fishing Boat
When They Were Within Few Kill
ometers of the Island Of Galita-
Patrol Boat Saved Them.

WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES, June
l7.-Through the fortunes of shipwreck,
or rather of hydroplane wreck, Ensign
Richer and Second Mate Guerin of a
French hydroplane have just had the hon
or thrust on them of establishing world 5
record of so consecutive hours of sea nav
igation in hydroplane.
During the so hours afoat, their i'm
mense French naval hydroplane, propelled
only by the sea and the wind, covered over
80 miles of voyage. The feat gives some
idea of the development that has taken
place in the hydro-avion service of the
French navy, and which is kept as secret
as the development that has taken place
in the navy itself since the beginning OF
the war.
On Jan u, Ensign Richer, who com
manded hydroplane squadron on the Al
gerian coast, started out with two hydro
Epanes on a submarine hunt. When q
miles off the coast, the plane IN charge
of himself and Second Mate Guerin was
forced to take to the water owing to al
accident to the motor.
The second hydroplane was in the ac
| of alighting to render any assistance posi-
BILE, when Ensign Richer signalled it no
to take to the sea, but to 90 IN search o
la tug.
The second hydroplane accordingly head
led towards the Algerian coast and thi
was the last seen of it. Richer's hydro
plane had been forced to alight in the Sc
about 2:30 In the afternoon of Jan. L.
Night came on without their seeing an
passing ship. During the night, however
cannon shots were heard, and they a
once sent up rockets, but without SUI
cess
J Meantime, the sea became rough an
their hydroplane would quickly have bee
wrecked had it been any other than th
new, strongly built, sea-going type that tn
French marine has developed.
! During tisesmofning, of the lash. the, cab
: of the floating anchor broke and d
struction was again threatened. The ere
: tof two men, however, rugged up a secon
! anchor of what heavy material there hal
:, pened to be aboard and also repaire
2 both the foaters and the wings Of Il
!. plane which had been badly damage
{ during the nights storm. During the da
! of the 18th, the wind sprang up. and Il
!, hydropane driven before it, came with
I sight of the coast of Sardinia. The tv
I, men gazed intently toward the shore no
: ing to see a fishing boat or some one
/ whom signal could be sent
5, Before a boat could be sighted. ho'
}. ever, the wind changed and the hydr
! plane was again driven out to sea. d.
II ing the remainder OF Jan. l3 and II the
II little stock of provisions and water W
e almost exhausted, but the two men Ike
Is up their courage.
Il On the morning of the 18th the Wi
: drove them in sight of the island of Calf
where again they tried in vain to sig
g fishing boat. As their craft passed vii
~ in a few kilometers of the island Seco
- Mate Guerin begged permission to take
u the sea, and see if he could not sw
e ashore Richer, certain that after TIN
s days of privation and exposure, Gueri
t strength would not hold out, refused
10 let him make the trial.
ri Finally, during the night of the 18th a
Id 10th. patrol boat, which had been scar
Ill ing for them ever since the afternoon
IS the 18th, sighted the floating hydropla
a. land picked up the two men.