Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-28
WANAMAKER PARTY
ISLANDED SAFELY
Merchants Grandson and
Others at Vero, Fla, After
26-Hour Fight With Sea
BAILED AIRB0AT ALL NIGHT

The flying boat in which six men
including Rodm9n Wanamaker. I'd, ant
Gurnee Mum, of this city. drifted abou
in heavy sea for twenty six hours
managed to taxi" into Vero, Fla.
about 6 o'clock last night.
All aboard were safe. although they
suffered somewhat from lack of food ant
water and the severe shaking up they
received from the waves. which at times
ran more than twelve feet high.
Mr.. Wanamaker is a grandson o.
John W8namaker, and Mr.. Mum
a son in law of Rodman Wanamaker.
Others on board were John Ruther;,
ford, Philip Boyer, Caleb Bragg and
David Mccullough. Mccullough. Brage
and Rutherford are former naval Of
ficers, rated as pilots.
McCullough was one of the pilots OF
the NC-3. transatlantic plane. Boyer is
New York broker, visiting with Payne
Whitney.
Receives News Of Sons Safety
Mrs. Archibald G.. Thomson this
morning received five kilograms con
Wanamaker, I'd, had reached Palm
Beach, Fla, safely after drifting at
sea in a crippled flying boat with five
companions.
II received wire from my son
shortly before 10 O'Clock last night" "
said Mrs. Thomson. at had been sent
from Vero, where my son and his com :
panions landed"
Mrs. Thomson said she is going to
Aiken, s. G., in few days, where she
will be Joined by her son.
The party left Palm Beach for the
Bahama Islands on q, fishing. trip on
Monday. They carried a small keg OF
water and some lunch, hardly enough to
last for more than the few hours they
expected to be away.
That was the last heard of them until
they TAXED into Vero last night.
The fishing trip came off as sched
uled, the men said today, but shortly
after leaving the islands for the sew
enty mile trip back to Palm Beach
the big plane developed engine trou-
BILE.
Mccullough. acting as pilot, was
forced to make a landing on the ocean.
The sea was running high and the
operation was particularly delicate, but
was accomplished successfully.
Then began the long battle with the
waves. At times they threatened to
overwhelm the craft, but each time il
weathered the worst and was prepared
by frantic bailing out of water by the
six men on board.
No One Gets Sleep
During the night the party of six
took turns bailing out the boat. None
was able to sleep. Yesterday morning
the three pilots worked on the engines
and were able to make temporary re
pairs.
rrlo. 1ooa,, ~ Io.,,'4s;,~ b. A. J7Io.
ida shore. During the night the shir
had drifted about helplessly and was
still more than fifty miles from shore.
The power generated by the engine
was not enough for flying purposes, sc
the trip was made on the surface.
strong wind and heavy current carried
the ship opposite Vero. about seventy
miles north of Palm Beach, before {
landing could be made.
All the men are well known in socia
centers along the eastern coast, and &
systematic and spectacular search was
carried on for them all day yesterday.
Planes Aid Search
Motorboats and yachts patrolled thu
coast and airplanes from nearby nava
bases were used to search the ocean far
ther out. A tiier made a hurried visi
to the Bahamas and learned that thu
Wanamaker Mum party had left ther,
safely.
Mr.. Wanamaker and Mr.. Mum re
port having seen at least one of tb,
searching airplanes, but their signal.
were not sighted by the pilot of til,
flying craft.
George Cobb and Robert Hewitt, fly
ing in searching planes, sighted tn,
disabled flier off Vero and stood by un
til the party had negotiated saf,
landing.
The big plane, of the H. SCI
naval type, seventy four foot span
equipped with Liberty motors, will b,
repaired today and is expected to q,
back to Florida under its own power.
Rodman Wanamaker, I'd, is tn,
twenty year old son of the late Thoma,
B. Wanamaker. son of John Wana
maker. Mr.. Wanamaker is known n
a skilled polo player. He was mem
Der of the Bryn Mawr team in the ma
tional tournament here last September
Gurnee Mum maintains a residence
in Radnor, although he passes much o.
his time in Washington. where hi,
mother, Mrs. Charles A. Mum, resides
Mr.. Mum is thirty years old. He wa!
married June 20, 1915, to Miss Louis,
Wanamaker, daughter of Rodman Wan
Hmaker, in Philadelphia. He was gradu.
L l.