South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-26
Pilot. Delirious After 10
Hours Exposure. Gives Mute
Evidence of Disaster.

4AAuEuNE VI AtaEaNAfAe
Bv Associated Press.
MIAMI. Fla March 25.-Nursed
hv a woman whom nc believes in
his deIirium 20 be his mother Rob-
ert Moore. pilot and only survivor
of the slx persons who left here for
Rmlni last wednesday in the Ill
fated flying boat Niles Miami. iay
in hospital tonight more dead than
alive A submarine chaser took
Moore off the tanker William Greene
early today az she passed here bound
for Tamrico. Picked up by the
tanker late vesterS~y more than 40
miles off the Indian inlet az he
cIung 10 the wreckage OF his fying
boat. Moore was tenderiy cared for
an during last night by Mrs. j. Will
iams. wife Of an official OF the pan
American Petroleum corporation,
who was a passenger on the ship.
This morning when the relief boat
pulled along side the big ship.
Moore refused to- go without her.
When treasured that she would be
there. he finally permitted himself
20 be transferred 20 the smaller
craft and Doe brought TO hospital
here whore another woman took
up the task of trying 20 calm his
wandering mind
Piece by piece during the night
and DAY. Moore has revealed the
tragic story OF his experiences as
he cluug for two DAYS and two nights
TO tie wreckage Of the late flying
boat No trace had been found to-
night Of the bodies of Mr.. and Mrs.
August Butte and Mr. and Mrs.
Lawrence r Smith. all Of Kansas
CITY and Mrs. j. s. Dickson OF
Memphis vino one by one gave ar
their lives as the struggle became
600 much for them
Tied 90 Wreck
Moore statements while aboard
the tanker were retold by capt.
Charles a Wach-muth 'T was
about ~ miles Oft the east Indian
inlet said Capt. Wachsmuth.
when. just about dusk saw what
appeared TO be a human figure fee
lIv waving his arms "a mile of the
-tJrb0ard bow We drew close un-
til we could discern man who APP
ueared 20 be dashed 10 a spar We
hove to- launched a boat and rowed
ont 90 the rescue a heavy sea was
running and ID was no easy task.
brt after considerable difficulty we
managed ~ get him aboard. He
was dashed with piece Of rope
about his neck and another piece
about his waist. and was totally eX-
hausted
LAS we cut him loose. ne muir
60 fol
lows 10 so much trouble. Then ne
became unconscious. We found that
ne had attached himself i'm some
manner 20 an overturned flying boat
The exact location in which he was
picked up was latitude 27.3S north,
longitude 1888 west The time was
$40 r. IN.
BIistcrcd and Burnt.
1--WE undressed him and placed
him i'm my cabin. where ne was
cared for through the night by Mrs.
!. Williams. a passenger. We found
that his entire body was bHstered
and burnt. and that his lips were so
badly swollen he could not open
his mouth His eyes. from the salt
water and blazing sun. were in such
condition chat at first we >bought
ne was blinded. but after Mrs Will
Jams had bathed his face ne seemed
TO recover somewhat. though he ap-
peared Co be entirely ont Of his
mind
ION his person we found three
one-dollar bills i'm which ne had
torn holes in his reIirium, a pair of
glasses which had been smashed
and a woman's vanity case
Mrs williams. who reluctantly
relinqulshed him 90 the physicians
aboard the submarine chaser said
that Moore had been i'm constant
delirium through the night and was
under the impression that she was
his mother. He told her practically
the whale story Of his experiences
during the 56 hours he had been
adrift tn the bulf stream.
Break Propeller
IL developed that the Miss Miami
had broken her propeller when
about 10 miles from Bimini and
that she had descended I'm the gull
stream during a gale. All through
that n!ght and the next day the fly
ing boat drifted helplessly north
wards. becoming swamped after be-
ing in the water a few hours. AT
effort was made 20 pump the water
cut OF the cockpit but the seas were
running so high that the cockpit
was filled each time a wave heaved
over the fragile craft.
on Thursday morning as related
by Moore 20 Mrs. VILLAINS. the pom
toon Of the boat sprung a leak and
soon aTterward turned turtle. The
three men-Moore. Butte and Smith
managed 70 drag the exhausted
women 10 the top or the boat
where Moore endeavOred TO hold
them one by ore. however. the
women died fin his arms and slipped
into the sea. the fury OF which
seemed 20 increase with each pas
sing hour
Women Die First.
First. Mrs. j. :. Dickson or Mem
phis died and fell into the ocean
Then Mrs Butte gave mp the strug
GLE and finally Mrs. smith also sue
cumbed Both of the other men. bl
this time, were completely demente,
and losing their holds on the pre-
carious craft. slipped into the ocean
N hen night came ON, Moore alon,
remained on the boat
iu some manner" said Mrs. VII
Jams Moore said he managed q,
obtain a piece 90 rope. fastening on,
end around his neck auh the othe
to the plane. This alone saved hin
from being washed into the ocean
with the other five mem beers Of tn,