The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-08

uugers and crew AL
,he launch Waldo today re-
poYted its safe arrival at Corpus
Pass 20 miles east of this place,
after weathering a squall in Cor
pus Christi Bay. Fears had been
expressed for the safety of the
party, which included business
men from Corpus Christi and from
Ardmore, Okla.
The launch will return to Cor
pus Christi tomorrow, according
to one OF the passengers, who was
sent TO tine mainland to report the
partys safety.
Grief and fear and uncertainty held
sway in Ardmore homes last night ana
the tenseness was not broken until IL
O'Clock this morning when news came
that an Ardmore party of five men re
ported lost at sea, was safe.
The Oklahoman received an Asso-
ciated Press dispatch in the evening
stating that the gasoline launch Waldo
had been swept out to sea by storm
at Aransas Pass, Texas, and that an
Ardmore party of fishermen was on
the boat. The local correspondent of
Inc tDkldnOl1ldIl was dShtNl lOi tli' iltNiii'''
of the Ardmore people and the news
was then conveyed to the homes of
these men, who are: B. a. Simpson,
p. c. Dngs, n. b. Feagin, Judge
Thomas w. Champion, and. Rob p.
Poland.
FrenZied efforts were made by faml-
lies and friends of the men to get news
of the reported disaster, but the wires
to Aransas Pass were down and Corpus
Christi had no news to give out. Tele-
phone messages We're gotten through
to Corpus Christi and reassuring word
was received but no definite report was
obtainable.
The first news came by wire from
banker in Corpus Christi to Frank
Sherwood of the Guaranty State Bank,
stating that the party was safe. Next
came wire to The Ardmoreite con
veyng the same good news, and to con
firm these reports p. c. Dings, one of
the men whose loss was feared, talked
by long distance telephone with c. $.
Pyle of the Guaranty State Bank.
These men with four Others includ-
|, ing j. j. McAlester. were in the boat
the bay when the storm rose. When
Y observed its approach they made
for land. Their small craft was whipped
and swayed with the waves that ran
high, but under its own power it made
land, and the people We're safe during
the worst of the storm.
The families and friends who sat vigil
all last night in an effort to get news
from the storm area We're aided gener-
ously by the girls of the local telephone
office. All other work was suspended,
and these girls worked faithfully in
getting calls through to different cities
in Texas. The members of this night
crew of telephone workers are heroines
in the fullest sense of the term, and
they cannot be given too much credit
for their good work.
The Dallas and Galveston News have
facilities for gathering storm news, and
the telegraph editor of the Dallas News
gave friendly and generous co-opera-
ton and the Western Union at the Ard
more office and at the Dallas office rem
dered every service that men could
give.
If that bunch of fishermen knew just
how much anxiety was felt they would
come back on the first train and let
us look into their faces and reassure
ourselves that they are really safe.
They are a quintette that Ardmore
just could not afford to give up.
The wife of the owner of the boat
was talked to last night and she eX-
pressed no alarm, and this was the first
news which came that gave any hope
whatever. j. w. Goodwin of Corpus
Christi was called over the phone and
he said that there was no excitement
there and that he felt the men would be
saved But still the absence of news,
coupled with the fear that prevailed,
added a tenseness to the situation that
continued to grow until the happy news
of the safety of the party reached Ard.
more.