Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-27
Pilot Of Flying
Boat Tells How
COMPANIONS Were Lost

COMPANIONS we're LOSC
Miami, Florida, March 26.-Graphic-
details of the loss of the flying boat;
Miss Miami with five passengers We're
given tonight by Pilot Robert Moore
from his bed in a local hospital
here he is slowly recovering from the
effects of his So hour fight against
death in the gulf stream.
Moore had thrown of entirely the
delirium from which he was suffer-
ing when picked UP yesterday by the
tanker William Green, but the attend
ing physicians said there was grave
danger of his developing pneumonia.
While the pilot, still shaken with
horror of his experience told his story,
crews Of seaplanes and naval craft
were returning from a fruitIess all
day search for the bodies of Mr.. and
Mrs. August Butte and Mr.. and Mrs.
Lawrence E. Smith. of Kansas City,
and Mrs. J. S. Dickinson of Memphis,
who had occupied the passenger pit
of the Miss Miami when she took off
Wednesday morning for a flight TO the
island of Bimini. The search will be
continued tomorrow.
! I'VE left Miami" said Moore. "at
11.04 o'clock last Wednesday morn
, ing in the face of a stiff northeaster-
ly wind. AT 11.41, about three min
utes out Of Bimini, something broke
off the propeller. / automatically
looked for ship. or a shoal, TO land,
by. ] saw a fishing smack and VOL
planned down TO the water about q
mile away in its course.
Il asked the passengers not to be
afraid. We were in no immediate
danger and the craft was drawing
near. The winds however were ris-
ing and before long the hull of the
boat sprang leak. The nose of the
plans began rising. Then a big wave
came along and lifted us. The plane
turned over and we were all thrown
into the sea
Mrs. Butte came TO the surface
first, then Mr.. Smith and Mrs. Smith.
OF the three none could swim. ! sue
ceeded in getting them TO the over
turned plane. Mrs. Dickinson and MIR. !
Butte had not appeared on the sur
face. Mrs. Butte made this discovery.
| MY God. my husband, where is
he"' She cried
| Il told her he would be all right in
a few minutes and dived into the wa. i
! ter, but ! could not locate either he or
Mrs. Dickson Mrs. butte began to
/ weep ! dived into the water and oh
! tanned cushions from the plane 10 use
for life proservers AS I returned to
them l saw the body OF Butte floating.
stepped directly in front OF Mrs.
2 lr+If
the body passed me ! noted n wound
/ on his forehead. He must have been
! KILLED before he struck the water when
tic plane overturned.
! within the next so minutes III.
scenes changed twice. On the horizon
we sighted the fishing boat. We began
to laugh and contemplated being
picked UP. ] was confident we would
/ be saved In fact ! felt like whist
ling. l believe l did. 1t kept I'D NV
morale.
And the fishing boat changed its
course
81 cant understand in Gods world
why he did not keep on toward uz. He
knew ] was in that locality somewhere
for he had seen me come down 7
u
half mile away, as he went on
The winds rose during the night
and the women grew weaker At least
II times they were swept over hut 7
swan out and got them and brought
them back each time.
The next day our hopes rose rs we
saw other boats pass. but none came
within less than q mile and n half of
us. tried to keep up the morale OF
tho others by telling them they were
soldiers. 1t helped marveiously, but ,
one Of the women, Mrs. Smith, became
utterly detected
We weathered the storm OF Wcdnes-
day night after a terrible experience T
and Mrs Butte died Thursday. ! saw
! Mr.. and Mrs. Smith clasped IN each
others arms and one cf them suggested
that they close their eyes and jump
overheard. But they didn't. and Mrs
Smith died in her husbands arms. We
released the bodies of the two women
and they fioated away.
! Thursday. as dusk approached
Smith grew delirious and ] strapped
him on. AT times he appeared ra-
tional and asked me what chance ]
thought we had of being rescued. ]
told him ! thought we would vet be
saved and he said:
u don't see how we can hold out
much longer. Don't you think / had
q brave wife,"
Il assured him that ] had never
seen a more courageous woman.
All right, Bob he answered,
promise me that if you return you
will tell her sons how brave their
mother was. Tell them the facts and
tell them the truth about me. You
will know as no other how ! did.
Tell them for nc, boy
HE removed three dollar bills
from his pocket and asked me to
give one to each OF his three boys
with his dying message.
II pushed his body into the sea
and all alone kept up my courage as
best ] could. The suns heat had
blistered me and the thirst was
maddening, ] chewed the ends OF
my fingers until blood came to ap-
pease my thirst. ] saw boats pass
and waved TO them, but none saw
me. AS dusk approached Friday
night, ] began to believe that il was
all up ! tied a rope to my neck but
! was so weak that 1t seemed there
wasn't much use. ] guess ] was I'M
conscious when the boat came after
me, for / don't remember much