Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-13
Joe ElIedss Writes
VI Conpoy's Battle
With Storm at Sea

Joo r.llcdre. OF this city, employed AT
the Iowa savings Rank prior TO his en-
listmont IN thr navy two years ago,
writes 10 friend In this city of the
experiences OF nn American convoy IN
u terrific storm al sea, encountered
shortly afoi sailing from Btest,
France For forty-two hours the shiph
ha,tled the storm and during most OF
That time the members OF the crew
feared they never again wound soc lund,
Finally. after being buffetcd 10y the
wind and waves for two nights and e
day the vessels still afloat made their
way lack TO port,
we sailed from Brest on the way 10
the Asore Islands, April ~" Elledse
writes, and came hack To this port at
800 a. m. Tuesday, In the forty-two
hours we were ~ sen ! saw and eNper-
fenced more than ever hope 10 again.
There were eleven ships in the convoy,
including the flagship Marietta, eight
mine sweepers. one torpedo boat. one
yacht and a supply ship. We ran into
storm and awful seas. The yacht
lost n man overheard and then things
began to happen.
I ilt lllilt S"''IlfIs, WIN 'ntli INV
decks. began to take water and leak
The supply ship took the crews from
two OF the swcepers Sunday afternoon,
after we had all turned back. The sup
ply ship sprung a leak in doing so and
could not stay with us. The remaj In
ing mine sweepers were kept afloat all
Sunday night by battling water by
hand. Monday morning the crew OF
one OF these vessels was removed and
1t was "A risky job. Tho men were
taken off by life raft"
A line from each ship was cast to the
doomed ship and after five or six
hours OF hard work the forty-six men
Of the crew were taken from the boat.
An hour later the boat sank in rag
ing sea.
We then headed for Brest," Elledge
continues, "and about 400 o'clock re-
ceived radio that a tug which had
left another port to aid us was gong
down, the waters having come over
and put the fires out. We turned back
to find her but she sank before we got
there. The torpedo boat in our convoy
picked up some members of the tugs
crew from a life raft and some dead
sailors from a boat. The other mem
bers of the crew went down.
"o"- beat relied aud pitched uud
every one on board was sick. One
could not stand without hanging to
something. | was more dead than
alive as I stood at life buoy watch two
hours on and six hours off all the time.
Once I slid across the deck and grab
bed life line going across. There was
high wind and the hail cut our flesh
like knife The boat rolled over I'M
til the life boats touched the water
and the guns on the top side stuck
their muzzles In the sea. It rolled any
where from rs to As degrees. The boat
dipped until the water ran over the
deck almost knee deep. II we laid down
on the deck we slid across It. Every
thing that was loose was sliding
around. Cooking was ont OF the ques-
ton. l couldn't have eaten anything
had had n chance: did not eat or
drink until Monday and that only two
halves OF canned apricots.
II am feeling all right since getting
back to level decks. was awfully
tired, weak and sleepy but I am now
coming back to life. Nobody knows
how would like to be home and out
of this. No one can know what it is
without going thru It."