Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-08-19

us, SO l. gathered a lot of wreckage to-
gether ana builded raft and cot ON
top OF it but when I stood up it went
to pieces and [ took another dive
The next time [ had better luck and
as / stood UP [ saw big oil tanker
coming upon the horizon and the boats
were now clear of the ship and pulling
away from us. The captains wife at
last saw me and they headed for us.
The captain was almost unconscious
and when they came alongside we had
to lift him in the boat All [ had On
was that grey jersey l wore at home
and my shoes; all the pants were
blown off me and my legs looked like
beef steak. The boat was full of in
jured and seaman with broken
back howled continually.
BY this time the British Earl. nm
oil tanker, was within two miles of
us and we rOwed oyer to her. At this
time the cargo in No and No. 5
matches bowed up and the ship was
aflre from stem to stern. / asked the
boys about my dog, Blanka, but she
evidently was killed by the explosion.
After we got aboard the British Earl.
the wounded were dressed and then
the life boat from st. Mary's, in the
Sicily islands, came alongside and took
us to st. MaV's where we were given
clothes and food.
young seaman was blown in the
air and never seen afterward An
other seaman had his back broken and
Is undoubtedly dead h. this time. A
mcSSman had his leg broken and a
score of others were more or less Seri-
ously injured. The chief engineer was
hurt from head to foot and blood al
over. The captains wife was badly
hurt about the knees and arms. She
was very cool through it all, aa was
everyone but two, One OF these two
yellow dogs VISA on watch in the en-
CINE room and deserted his post The
other was fiat on his back in the hos
pital and Knocked down three or foup
men who were trying to launch the
boat and jumped into it. All IN all,
the crew acted fine.
We lost everything. / lost all my
clothes and my seXtant. A thousand
dollars wouldn't replace all / lost in
personal property aud money and we
get nothing hack. All the things l
treasured, my money collection, atr-
letic gear. It sure hurts, but it is the
chance Il man takes in going to sea
and won't happen to one peg.,Aa in a
million. We STAYED j., st. Nlaryfs two
days and ts,.n went to penzance Eng
/ lanti, from there to Plymouth, al.ti al
ter two-day stay we Went to South
ampton Whcfe four officers and tive
men were sent back to the States on
tn Aquitania. We had q fine trip on
the finest ship in the world and
landed in New York in six days and
now we ave on our way hack to Savan
nan. The captain and the rest of the
crew are still III England, l suppose.
Our wages, according to the Law,
stopped when the ship blew up. 1t
was sure hard luck apG put me hack
some.
and when we landed IN New York, be-
fore the ship was d0cked, at least
twenty reporters and two movie men
took aur pictures and if you see a Fox
or Pathe pictorial weekly you will see
our hard~looking mugs.
This is July Doth AMI we are in Sa-
vannah, and MI ttelied up in a new
outfit, We will he compelled to stay
here until the captain returns and then
if business picks up will get another
ship.
I know that you will pYver worry
about me any mo,a, because if, I can
go through This O. r., it will take 81
loI To 1inish me. Don't think 1t is
dangerous to GO To- sea, as this hap
pens once IN q decade.
I4eye "a all, am as well as ever
and don't need thing in the world.
HARLEY.