Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-06


trio motor room and the tiller compart-
ment at the extreme stern.
Small Hole Brought Air
knowing the depth of the water, It
was assumed there might be a reason
able chance Of the ships stern protrud-
ing above the surface and. with that in
view, the outside skin Of the vessel
was carefully sounded. We heard the
waves tapping the side few feet from
the stern and to prove our conclusion
got a breast drill and small bit and
drilled an eighth inch hole.
when air and not water was the
result the crew cheered and set to work
I'd extricate themselves with fresh
strength and hope. Daylight did not
meet our eyes at first, for it was night
o. o'clock.
During the seven hours we had been
imprisoned I may say here that all
hands bore the ordeal with the utmost
fortitude and cheerfulness, orders were
carried out with absolute coolness and
precision as far as the strength and
situation of the men would admit. and
during the whole time we were in the
vessel there was not one word OF com.
plaint or sign Of faint .heartedness.
"All our strength was then directed
to cutting out a hole through the skin
of the vessel with the tools at our COM
mand. Breast drills and rate chet drills
were brought up from the engine room,
and in the narrow space OF the tiller
room the men fought like heroes for
their freedom and lives.
ITO expedite the work, to which had
been added cold chsels. hack saws and
hammers. n heavy electric drill. boring a
three cights inch hole was brought into
play. The men were oil in soaking
clothing and all of the power circuits
that still worked were badly grounded.
"When the current vas turned on
the drill large part Of the power passed
through the body OF the man operating
It, knotting his muscles. binding his
arms to his side and subiecting him TO
excruciating agony. The men did not
falter, one after another taking up the
slow work. and held In his place by
companions. This drill bored only four
holes, working all Wednesday night.
They were cut through by saws without
handles, from one to another.
Kept Bad News to Himself
"At dawn Thursday as I worked at
the hole / saw vessel pass some dis
tance off, but did not notify the men.
as il would have done no good. BY
that time we had n jagged triangular
hole some six inches by five, shaped
not unlike a high shoe. cut through the
ships skin.
"Thc men were by this time almost
exhausted and. duo to the vitiated air,
could only work in one or two min
ute shifts at the hole. Work was kept
on. however. and u watch at the same
time was kept for ships, two more Of
which passed in the morning. but too
far away to notice us for more than a
piece Of floating wrcckage if they saw
us at all. The hole did not relieve
the bad air. very little air coming in,
the bad air merely passing out.
"A sailors undCrShirt was rigged
on to length Of brass pipe and put out
through the hole as an improvised dis
tress signal Toward noon a vessel
approached nearer and nearer and our
shirt was waved vigorously. using the
pipe as a lever and the hole as the full
Crum. The ship moved toward us. an
rarently to investigate us. and as she
nearpd I pulled the signal violently in
and ont and finally shouted with all the
strength that remained. The ship,
which afterward proved to be the Alan
thus, came quite close, changed course
suddenly and finally passed out of sight
ahead.
No Murmur as Ship Passed
"I think this was the most terrible
moment the crew suffered. They were
themselves on their dis.
covery. and to have the ship turn and
leave them to their fate was almost
more than they could bear. But not a
word of complaint did ! hear. They
prepared TO go to work again.
I'VE previously had searched every
inch Of the ship that remained to us for
a dry match that we might light some
oiled waste and put it through the hole,
as smoke might attract more attention
than our rag signal. As The Alanthrs
another frantic search was
made for just one match. If we could
only fine one dry match But the search
again produced nothing. We even tried
to short circuit some of the almost dead
electric wires against the waste, but
ould not ignite it. Some of the men
were shocked and their hands burned.
but that was all.
After what seemed an interminablc
length of disCouraging wait the Alan.
thus again appeared. quite close and
around our stern. and the mems spirits
revived. Presently we got a hail which
we answered. and a boat came along
side I talked to the men through the
hole and told them our situation.
They offered to tow us into port
and said they had not the tools to cut us
out I replied that we could not be
tOwed, in the present situation. and to
get water and ar to us as quickly as
possible.
They brought water in buckets from
the Alanthus, which was poured through
the hole with funnel and caught by US
inside.
The Alanthus then crept up close
to us. and Captain f. c. johnson as
sured our upright position by making
cables fast to our stern, which were
drawn up tight.
"A wash deck hose was rigged TO one
OF his deck pumps, led through the hole
and forced pure air down to us. This in
a short time had a revivifying effect on
the men, who at this time had had
nothing TO eat or drink in about twenty
eight hours.
"A staging was fioated alongside our
stern and the Alanthus attacked us
from the outside with what meager tools