The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-01-02
Terrible Ordeal
of Seattle Doctor
Is Told in Letter

car, We were nicely away from
the ship and within 10 yards OF tho
bow when l told the utesrsman 70
Keep on and We would make tho lee.
ward OF the ship where We would hc
safe from crashing lie said. No.
I'm going out here 60 thh windward D.
| told him the men couldn't keep
rowing against such heavy seas
and that We would crash against
the ship. Even after told him /
was In command and no was not.
he insisted. tho result being that the
men got tired and dropped their
cars.
lie Sang Song
we were driven with great speed
toward the ship and Ia spite or
urgent entreatics l couldn't gct tho
men 20 use their oars. Just before
we crushed I picked up an oar and
tried to stave IL off but the oar
broke into spilnters. IL accomplish.
cd some good. tho. for the boat didn [
break up, simply ditchcd MS all out
In the water. | saw tho stceruman
50. carried OFF by big wave. aud
H*htAs NfNRA ANF NhAs nANN AflAt
had presence OF mind enough 20
swim in the right direction. got back
into the boat again. for Il was an
unsuitable craft. Sho struck twice
more and | grabbed rope from
the ships side and went up IL. hand
over hand. Looking down. saw
two killed, one the chief steward.
who had hts head smashed In, and
the other. a Tommie. struck In the
ribs. Again we got In the boat. II
WAS easy as Tn. gunwales were
flush with tho water and the waves
swept you toward the boat / then
yelled TO them. Now. n you devils
want TO die. die. n not. use your
hands and get away before tho next
wave comes SO we pushed tho
boat along toward the stern. then
along the keel Of an upturned boat
and had just cleared that when the
next blk wave swep, Va past IN.
stern OF the ship. I was standing
in tho center OF the boat up TO
my neck in water and as We swept
past another boat / saw d. tho
other NJ y. l called 20 him and
said. 'Cherrie u and sang him that
French song ! used 20 sing.
Dies In His Arms
I'VE had now - persons left IN
the boat. one woman. a Mrs. Wick.
crs and her husband. an cx.licuten.
ant. We threw out the sails. grub.
water casks. etc. TO ligh0l tho boat.
as water and grub wouydnt be OF
any use In the short time we would
survive such n sea. IL was all ono
could do to hang on as the hugo
waves rushed over us. My steward.
orderly sergeant and Tommic
stood beside me. The Tommic had
baby six months old. took Il
from him and passed Il 20 steward
in the stern. a. the bow and stern
OF the boat were a bit out % the
water. The poor babe survived
about an hour. 80 told him 20
throw the body overheard. as he
had enough 10 do 10 hang on him.
self
Il won't dwell on how one after
another they died. but BY their
bioodshot eyes I knew from seeing
others that IL was only a matter
og 10 minutes 70 half an hour b..
fore they were finished Two got
dciirious and walked into the sea.
The three standing beside me died.
The steward ~ the stern was the
only man able 10 give me any help
Together we would reach out and
pull a man back into the boat after
he had been washed over. | could
yell az the others MS much as !
pleased. but they only turned their
heads away About an hour before
We were picked up ! seemed 20 be
dreaming. The waves locked 80
restfui and full OF peace. I wanted
20 walk out into them and u. down.
FOR I was tired and cold. Only the
thought that I WAS responsible for
the boat kept me together until my
head Topped over. and I went under
the water. Aroused I called TO the
steward and asked II he couldn't
mako n place for me at the stern.
SO they pulled me over the seats and
seated me In the stern with a blan-
ket around mo. This got my chest
out Of the water and started 10
come to again. had TO be lifted
on the torpedo boat and was quite
IN thru the night. I couldn't keep
"A thing down for "A week.
There we're l. left IN the boat
when we were picked up. Mrs.
vickerB came thru the ordeal. but
her husband died. Since then all
Of the others who were In my boat
have passed away"