Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-03-06

rigge0 up DeQ clOtneS us Suilo, 'he'' "'e
nails of distress failing to bring help
after the vessels engines were dis
abled and her navigating instruments
washed overheard In midOcean, ana
how they piloted the craft through the
open sea for month until the!
reached the Azores, Is graphically de-
scribed In the report of Alexis PuIuhen'
the sailing master in command, when
has just been made public by the navy
department.
The submarine chaser, which was
called No. %, was American built ana
one of group turned over to the
French government. Manned by French
crews the vessels left the Bermudas
on January Z 1918, and soon struck
heavy weather. The tugs and chasers
found It 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 gaso-
line and ventilators. The engine room
was flooded, but the crew managed TO
start one engine and keep the vessei
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 frnntical-
" they could not locate the trouble
and the engines finally went dead
Submarine chaser No. % was therefore
helpless, and although many signais OF
distress were sent up nobody seemed
10 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
ments, she was reported at the Azores.
The expedients to which the crew Of
the vessel resorted in their month at
,ea are best related in the sailing mas
ter'S own report:
1.-THE machinists set to work to fix
the engines, and on Wednesday, Janu.
ary 49, at midnight, the central engine
started up. | set course east. There
was nothing in sight. At 8 a. m. we
again broke down. At 30 a. M. !
saw lights of two steamers to port on
the horizon, headed east. 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.
1.-THE boat continued stopped and the
machinists kept at the repair of the
engines. l kept pumping the bilges
where the water reached a height of
about 20 inches. The boat made lot
Of water from the sprnging of her
beams.
AT ten minutes to II a. III. | saw
the mast of a scout boat on the horizon
to the northwest. Considering my boat
to be in q critical condition by reason
Of the length Of time 1t had been dis
abed and the near exhaustion of my
lubricating oil, l fired a 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. III. new breakdown or
the engine. The chief machinist, Faig-
nou, reported to me that the lubricat-
al |
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 for the fabrication of the ell
glnes These latter gave very good re-
suits, but were not sufficient. There
was about five gallons. At 20 minutes
to six p. 10. the engine started up;
course east, nothing in sight.
AT half-past eleven p. IN. another
and last breakdown of the engine and
burning out Of the dynamo. The chief
machinist reported to me that he
would not be able to make the engines
run any more. The 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 only for the fabrication
of the auxiliary engine with which |
pumped bilges when the state of the
sea was such that l could not use the
handy-billy (hand pump.
81 found myself, therefore, in COM
plete distress, drifting toward the
southeast, at the mercy of the winds
and sea, with no exact position. l es-
timated my position at this time as 36
degrees, 80 minutes north latitude, and
50 degrees west longitude (about TOO
miles from the Azores).
Put Crew on Short Rations.
II remained In this condition until
the eighteenth of February without
getting help of any kind. l ordered
jury lug rig to be got up, pumping the
bilges all the time, putting out and tax
ing in sea anchor when | thought 1t
well to use 1t, sparing the drinking
water as much as possible, rationing
the crew to the lowest possible
amount, In view of the probability of
long voyage; putting out and taking in
the sails according to the condition of
the weather and the direction of the
wind, and endeavoring to make head
way east by compass in an effort to
reach the Azores. The winds were IA
vor, >;e, blowing generally from the
westerly quadiants and changing al
intervals from northwest to southwest.
81 sighted four steamers, Of which
three were very far away and making
course nearly narallpl tn mine so