The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-02-25

How the crew OF q submarine chaser
rugged up bed clothes as sails, their sig
nails OF distress failing to bring help
after the vessels engines were dis
abled and her navigating instruments
washed overheard In midocean, and
how they plotted the craft through the
open sea for a 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. %, was American built and
one Of q group turned over to the
French government. Manned by French
crews the vessels left the Bermudas
on January z, 1913, and soon struck
heavy weather. The tugs and chasers
found 1t hard to keep together. In a
terrific storm on January II the tug
convoy was scattered and No. % lost
sight Of her companions.
Heavy seas carried away her life
boats, davits. boxes Of coal and gnso-
line and ventilators. The engine room
was flooded, but the crew managed to
start n engine and keep the vessel
going. When the weather moderated
somewhat No. % started out In search
Of her convoy. She then developed en-
CINE trouble. and the shortage OF lubri-
eating oil became alarming.
Although the crew worked frantical-
" 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 1t was generally believed
she had been lost. Then on February
10. much to the surprise Of both the
French and American navy depart
ments. she was reported at the Azores.
The expedients to which tile crew Of
the vessel resorted In their month at
: In best related In the sailing mas
ter's own report:
The machinists set to work to fix
the engines. and on Wednesday, Janu-
AIRY 16. at midnight, the central engine
started up. I set course east. There
was nothing In sight. At 8 a. m. we
again broke down. At $3.50 a. NJ. /
saw lights Of two steamers to port on
The horizon, headed east. l showed
two red lights at the masthead and sig
nailed to them with the blinker. They
did not answer me and continued on
their course to the east.
'sThe boat continued stopped and the
nachinists kept at the repair of the
engines. I kept pumping the bilges
where the water reached a height Of
about 20 inches. The boat made a lot
Of water from the ~springing of her
beams.
AT ten minutes to IL a. m. ! saw
the mast Of q scout boat OF the horizon
to the northwest. Considering my boat
to be In . critical condition by reason
ct the length of time 1t had been dis
abled and the near exhaustion of my
~lubricating oil. I fired q salyo Of six
shots and hoisted the signal Of dis
tress. / obtained no answer and could
see nothing Of them a few min
utes later. At noon the center engine
started up; east. Nothing In
sight. At l p. m. a new breakdown of
the engine. The chief machinist, Faig-
nou. reported to me that the lubricat-
Ing oil was all gone. T~hereupon / used
zap suds and several greasy sub
stances to replace the oil. but these
gave bad results.
Il then gave all the salad oil and
butter for the fabrication OF the en-
Gines. These latter gave very good re-
sults, but were not sufficient. There
was about hve gallons. At 20 minutes
to ok p. m. the engine started up
course east, nothing In sight.
AT half-past eleven .. m. another
and last breakdown Of the engine and
burning out Of the dynamo. The chief
mAchinist reported to me that he
would net be able to make the engines
run any more. The radio would not
work. 1t was impossible for me to call
fee help. There was nothing left me
aboard but several pints Of salad oil,
which I used only for the fabrication
81 the auxiliary engine with which ]
pumped bilges when the state Of the
- was such that ! could not use the
hnndvhll1v fhand pumn1.