The Washington times., 1920-01-25
Many Passengers on Inflated
Powhatan Viewed Incl
dent As Lark.
CAPTAIN PRAISED BY ALL
Commander Of Transport In
spired voyagers With
Hope.

NEW YORK, Jan. 25-Heroic tales
of the pluck and fortitude of the
refugees. including may Washington
men. women and children. of The dis
abled steamer Powhatan, who for
four days faced the peril of death.
were told here today by the rescued
passengers who we're landed safely
yesterday by the steamer Northern
Pacific, at Hoboken, n. !.
Many Of the passengers OF tie
steamer were inclined TO treat their
hardships and thrilling experience.
as a lark, there being only one pas
senger, a woman. who suffered2iil-
ness as the result Of the disabling
of the ship, and the transfer, in the
rough seas, from the ill-fated ship TO
The Northern Pacific.
Trusted Captain.
All the rescued passengers give
rhanks TO Capt. A. q. Randall. COM
mander of the transport Powhatan.
for the confidence he inculcated in
peril. and declared that from the be-
ginning they had confidence in his
management of his ship and the lives
of the passengers.
Not only did the Northern Pacific
bring safely to port the lucklcss
transport Powhatan. but the last con-
tingent of American troops in France,
who Witnessed the rescue of the 2Il
passengers hundreds of miles out in
the storm-to tossed Atlantic.
1t developed that none of the crew
of the Northern Pacific had lost their
lives in the rescue work, as reported.
Passengers of the two ships declared
that two OF the lifeboats, one contain
ing six and another seven men, cap
sized, but that the heroic members
OF the crew were rescued.
Captain Randall Praised.
Capt. Richard +. Foote, of Wash
ington. master sexton of the graves
registration sexton. voiced what all
the passengers wanted to say in Civ
ing praise to Capt. A. II. Randall and
his officers. He said:
"They were splendid and worthy ex-
amples of the best of American sea-
men. Captain Randall was on the
bridge practically all of the time.
leaving il only now and then to visit
the main salon, where the passen
gers were gathered. to smilinGly re
assure them.
The passengers also behaved splcn-
didly. The first intimation we had
that anything was wrong was when
the engine stopped. Then we were
informed that the ship was taking
water. The weather was fairly good
but cold. Sunday was our heaviest
day. 1t was showing hard, and the
only light we had was from candles
and "A few oil lamps. The water was
also scarce. as the salt water had
penetrated some OF the tanks.
ship Tossed ny Gale.
1T was all but impossible to 30
on deck. for the wind soon whipped
up to gale and tho shin tossed
aud pitched alarminSly. This kept
up until ono OF the rescue vessels
got line aboard and Strengthened
us out. From that time on cond'-
tions improved, until finally VIC were
taken of"
! I'D in the radio operators room the
wireless story of the Powhatan's call
for help and rescue was told. early
last Sunday morning the Northern
/ Pacific picked up this message from
the disabled vessel:
IS. O. $. Powhatan. Latitude l:oH
| n. longitude 62:l0 ". EnStuo-room
Hooded. Pumps choked. High seas.
! Ship unmanageable.
Four minutes later the Northern
Pacific radio was pounding out its
answer, telling its distance away and
| that 1t was proceeding to the rescue
| at top speed from the Ncwfoundland
! Banks. of Cape Race.
ships wireless Gives Ou'.
Almost instantly came word from
/ the Powhatan that the operator there
was using his storage battery auNil-
! iary radio set and could not last long
| At once the Northern Pacific opcr-
ators flashed out over the seas to
every ship that could hear warning
not to try to talk to the Powhatai'
unnecessarily, as she could not AFFORD
to waste her talking energy
Four hours later the Powhatsn
wireless went dead. ner batteries used
up. with the ships fircs out no new
clergy could be generated, and she
was silenccd.
Y. Bartels and 5. H. Booth were the
| radio operators on tho Northern
/ iracifc. Bartels frst picked up the
| rowhatans call for aid.
| "Miss Dorothy Dunn. Of Philadcl-
phia. and Miss Edith Gardncr. OF
l .r.r,tn,.s IN par- Cetupn NA