The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-01-16
PRIVATE HERND0N
IS BACK ll',|| AT HOME
FIRST OF AUGUSTA OTRANTO
SURVIVORS TO RETURN
Wounded Worse Than
Friends Understood
Right Arm Para1yzed and Practically
Useless-Bagby, Who Was I'm
hurt, Only Other Augustan.

49,. tEf; <. ItY, - -.-<a "S'sn. - -
Private J. II. Herndon reached Au-
gusta yesterday from Fort McPher-
son. where he was convalescing at the
base hospital. He is, probably, the
first Of the Augusta Otranto surviv-
ors to reach home. He reached Ho-
boken on December 18th, and enter
ed the base hospital there. He was
transferred to Fort Mcpherson about
q week ago, and ran down to Au-
gusta yesterday on a 5-day furlough.
FITS wounds have proved more serl-
u than was understood by his
friends. He sustained the dislocation
of q shoulder and the fracturing OF
the right arm. 1t appears that pa
ralysis has set in in the arm, render
Ing useless the arm and the hand.
Directly that he returns to Fort NC
Pherson he is to undergo an opera
tim which the surgeons hope will re-
suit ia q permanent cure. Herndon
received his injuries after he had
GOTTEN aboard the Mumsey. The
Mumsey is the British destroyer the
commander of which has been SO
axtoiled for his daring bravery in
coming alongside the otranto and
saving the lives of so many soldiers
Under conditions that were so hazard
ons 5 to have won for him the plaud-
ffs Of the American and British gov
arnmsnts.
Herndon made the leap from the
otranto to the Mumsey with success
and landed on the deck of the de-
stroyer without a scratch. However
Te was Immediately caught by g
Heavy wave which swept over the
vessel and dashed about as II he were
niece of cork. It was then that he
Vas injured.
ATfrightful sea was raging, it was
about L p. m, our time, when the &C
1dent occurred. Herndon was on
duty on deck. He says that he saw
fKe Kashmir coming toward the
Ofranto. She had lost control Of her
1f6peIlers, or other accident had oess
Enrred which resulted in the boats
fefusal to be controlled. She was
Being tossed high BY the swells: She
seemed to be right on the Otranto as
she commenced lurching id the direc-
lion of the transport, though, OF
s0urse, she was probably a quarter OF
s mile away when she became un-
manageable. The Otranto changed
her course and tried to escape the
collision, but without success. The
Kashmir hit the Otranto amidships,
II k1iiing q number Of men as she
struck.
There was not the great commotion
aboard the otranto that one would
expect. The men acted with cool
ness under the circumstances. AS
the Mumsey came in reach the men
began to jump, and many of them
saved thea lives in this way. Some
sc the poor fellows failed to make
the leap from boat to boat success
fully, and went into the sea. The
story OF the wreck has been told
often, and the narrative of it by
Herndon is about the same as has
already been given.
Herndon reached Belfast about
1890 p. M, the date of the collision.
Roy Bagby was the only Augustan
with him, SO far as he knows Hern-
don was placed in the British hospital
at Belfast. AS stated, he was later
transferred to the United States.
Bagby remains in Europe. Herndon
saW nothing OF him after entering
tie hospital in Belfast.
The most significant thing to my
mind In connection with my expert
eiaee," said Private Herndon last
hight, "was the remarkable work OF
TIE Red Cross among the men who
were gotten ashore. L have never
dreamed of such attentions as were
given the men by the workers of the
osxanization. I am sure that their en-
SssAvor, knowledge and kindness saw