The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-02-23

ticed that the wind was blowing
at about sixty miles an hour and
the sea was rougher than / had
ever seen it. At twelve O'Clock |
went forward to turn in and |
aWoke the radio man TO relieve
the watch from twelve to -four. |
soon fell asleep in spite of the con-
tinual pounding and screaking OF
the bow as she plowed her way
through, over and under the waves
which were at our stern driving
us at speed OF about nine knots.
Ding, ding. ding couldn't
have been awakened any quicker
by a dozen bombs bursting under
our keel. The general alarm gong
rang at about two thirty-five a.
m. on the eighth. We all knew
what this ring signified, because
ii was quite certain that there was
something brewing other than an
ordinary drill, for earlier in the
morning We had heard an officer
and sailor come forward to fill up
the fish oil drums-as we have all
read or heard OF how the sea is
calmed by pouring oil on the water
this was being done in an at
tempt TO Quell the continual break
ing OF the white caps over the
ship.
1--WE all broke out in the forward
quarters and dressed in winter
outfits and lie preservers, prepar-
ing for the worst. started to
make a dash across the matches
between the life lincs-racink with
the next sea looming up high above
the mastS. ! could scarcely see
this tremendous mountain, sol
water as it was about to roll upon
us, but could feel it in the dark
ness-Coming, coming, coming.
Then it descended, pandemonium
broke loose, everything happened
at once. ! was struck a crashing,
stunning blow nowhere in par
ticular and yet everywhere. My
hold on the lie line was broken
and the thought passed through
my mind that this was the terrible
thing OF which | heard-the being
swept in the trough OF the sea. |
recovered myself in an instant and
leaped for the ladder leading up to
the main deck; and again | stop
ped as had reached the ladder
leading up to the boat deck on
the port side OF the ship-and /
listened. All the while, rolling
plunging, climbing the moving
mountains and falling and wallow-
ing in the foaming valleys, the
ship was fighting her way farther
and farther into the heart OF this
North Atlantic hurricane. | could
hear the wind above. 1t came to
my ears as muiiled roar except
for the occasional whistle as the
aerial responded to the persuasion
OF the gale, which was now blow
ing at ninety miles an hour. Now
and again feet stamped overhead,
and endless creaking was going on
all about me, the woodwork and
the fittings groaning and squeak
ing and complaining in thous-
and keys. So low did the ship roll
and list to the port that | sudden
ly thought she was sinking-and
had been abandoned by the off
GERS and creW-as no one was in
sight and the life boats billets
above me were empty. | snapped
and realized where ! was as the
one blast chrieked out from the
hoarse whistle above; a signal for
general quarters. started in a
run around the main deck to the
starboard side to my boat (No. y,
noting that all staterooms and the
dispensary on the port side had
been completely demolished by the
sea. The main deck was still
awash with the salty waves and
was soaking me with every clip.
| kept on my way aft around the
engine room to the starboard side,
passing the radio shack where |
had spent the night until twelve
o'clock; | found it in heap on
the deck. | dragged away some
OF the debris searching for the un-