The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-03-14

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rugged up bed clothes as sails. their sig
mails of distress failing to bring hell
after the vessels engines were dis
abled and her navigating instruments
washed overheard i'm midocean. and
how they piloted the craft through the
open sea for month until they
reached the Azores, is graphically de-
scribed in the report of Alexis Puluhen
the sailing master in command, which
has Just been made public by the navy
department.
The submarine chaser, which was
called No. 2S. was American built and
one Of group turned over to the
French government. Manned by French
crews the vessels left the Bermudas
on January I. 1918, and soon struck
heavy weather. The tugs and chasers
found it hard to keep together. III a
terrific storm on January II the tug
convoy was scattered and No. Is lost
;yigft Of her companions.
Heavy seas carried away her life
boats, davits, boxes of coal and gaso-
line and ventilatorS. The engine room
was flooded. but the crew managed to
start one engine and keep the vessel
going. When the weather moderated
somewhat No. % started out in search
of her convoy. She then developed en-
:gine trouble. and the shortage of lubri-
=. eating oil became alarming.
Although the crew worked frantical-
ly they could not locate the trouble
: and the engines finally went dead"
Submarine chaser No. % was therefore
helpless, and although many signals of
distress were sent up nobody seemed
: to see them.
! Reported at the Azores.
When the group of chasers reached
the French port No. % was reported
missing and it was generally believed
she had been lost. Then on February
lS, much to the surprise of both the
French and American navy depart
sments, she was reported at the Azores.
The expedients to which the crew OF
the vessel resorted in their month at
-sea are best related in the sailing mas
tiers own report:
'The machinists set to work to tx
s&he engines, and on Wednesday. Janp-
=ary 16, at midnight, the central engine
:%tarted up. / set course east. There
was nothing in sight. At 3 q. m. We
again broke down. At go a. m.
saw lights Of two steamers to port on
the horizon, headed east. / showed
two red lights at the masthead and sig
naled to them with the blinker. They
did not answer me. and continued on
their course to the east.
'sThe boat continued stopped and the
-machinists kept at the repair of the
engines. ! kept pumping the bilses
where the water reached height OF
about 70 inches. The boat made lot
of water from the springing Of her
sbeams.
~At ten minutes to II a. m. saw
the mast of scout boat on the horizon
to the northwest. Considering my boat
to be in critical condition by reason
of the length Of time it had been dis
abied and the near exhaustion of my
lubricating Oil. ! fired salvo of six
shots and hoisted the signal of dis
,tress. obtained no answer and could
see nothing more Of them few min
utes later. At noon the center engine
STARTED up; course east. Nothing IN
sight. At p. m. a new breakdown OF
theeugine. The chief machinist, Faig-
nou, reported to me that the lubricat-
ing oil was all gone. Thereupon used
soap suds and several greasy sub
stances to replace the oil, but these
gave bad results.
II then gave all the salad oil and
butter fer the fabrication Of the EN-
zines. These latter gave very good re-
,sRs, but were not sufficient. There
sAas abest five gallons. At ~ minutes
I'd Six o. m. the engine started up;
course east, nothing in sight.
: = -'tAf half-past eleven p. N. another
and last breakdown of the engine and
burning cut Of the dynamo. The chief
machinist reported to me that Nc
would not be able to make the engines
run any more. rhe radio would not
work. 1t waS impossible for me to call
for help. There was nothing left me
aboard but several pints Of salad Oil.
which used snly for the fabrication
of the auxiliary engine with which l
pumped hlges when the state OF the
sea WAS such that could not use the
handy-biAy (hand pump.
II found myself. therefore, in COM
) olete distress, drifting toward the
southeast, at the mercy of the Winds
: and sea, with no exact position. es'
y anaated my position at this time SIS 80
degrees, 80 minutes north latitude, and
30 degrees west longitude (about 7Oo
miles from the Azores).
Put Crew on Short Rations.
IA remained in this condition until
ssseae eighteenth Of February without
,sxSetdug heip Of any kind. ! ordered q