New-York tribune., 1922-03-26
One by One, Three Wom.
en- and Two Men Slip
on the Storm Tossed
gr"f' - : ignal5 Fail
DeI;ri0us Survivor
Gasps Out Tale
Held Two in His Arms
fer Ten Hours. While
Others, Crazcd. Yield
TO Exposure and Perish
~ II u saatcf - nc Tr.6ar.

MIAMI Ila.. March 25.-Pilot
Robert Moore, sole survivor Of the
Inflated Miss Miami, whose five pas
sengers one by one gave up their
lives in the Gulf Stream after cling
ing for hours to the wrecked flying
boat, as nine ships passed within
sight bat failed to see them and two
planes SCARED overhead in the search
fer them tonight was in d state Of
deljrium in q hospital here. At va
rlous intervals during the night and
daysinco his rescue he has in broken
sentence uafoldcd piece by piece
The thrilling story Of one Of the
greatest sea tragedies in the history
Of aviation.
For ten hours after the floating craft
'9Tang leak and turned completely
over Moore held two of the women in
a's arn sitter al but one woman had
managed 10 set back to the nreckaee.
'a7oles j. doing all in his power to
sac h's pc engers from the disaster
'oT which he considered himself respon.
Nble. Ire waves beat hard against
mem and one OF the women died ir his
5TmS Moore let her slip into the sea.
lhen the other died, end the pilot let
her 90, too.
The exposure and the loss of the
.TO N2nen overcame the other two
msh. iheT 3ecsme crazed One of
'as9 aanfed Moore q roll Of big bills,
sa!d TO ne $4,000, saying: You are
yoVnsi taae It. You may need it,"
ana be Tipped into the sea. The
o;aer followed him.
...s?o: 4Gore alone remained. How. in his
condition, nc tied a rope to his neck
and another TO his waist to keen him
as' the craft is considered re-
nafs9be, but that way they found him.
Tidings of Disaster Early
Tonight not trace of the bodies
q the. five passengers who gave up
1aeir .Wes-Mr: and Mrs. August Butte
aa5 "lr, and Mrs. Lawrence L. Smith.
oJ Kansas City, and Mrs. J. s. Dick
found.
ne Miss Miami sailed out of this
p9r. At 1880 a m Wednesday for an
afternoons pleasure trip to the Island
OF Bimini, forty-fve~ minute flight.
At so tnat night returning plane
reported that she had never arrived.
ms plane set back Immediately but
sighted nothing
Then followed a search in which a
dozen planes, a feet of speed boats and
Two suo-chasers took part. Thursday
ofolgat no word Friday the search
continued, with the United States Navy
'aE'hG part. It availed nothing.
Al $50 last night came word Of the
disaster. The Pan-American Petroleum
Corporation steamship William Green
"ireiessed that it had picked Up the
sole survivor Of seaplane painted pea
gIeen' he plane was upside down.
i ne master of TIE Green asked for
pn{ iclan5 TO meet the boat off Miami
fid lane tine pilot off. Moore was
'Fousht ashore in submarine chaser
.Ao .,A'o placed n hospital at 10 o'clock
FnIs morning.
Last night on board the tanker
,loore ; vas tenderly cared for by Mrs.
4. 4, aJe"ard Williams, wife of an official
81 tne company, who was pas scnger.
Moore. III his delirium, believed she
va his mother. To her he told at in
.sr'aiS as best he could the story of
me night and suffering. At times he
would utter incoherent phrases.
"ton't mind me, save the others" he
q salq once Another time he pleaded
VIII Mrs. Williams: Mother. you took
my racing automobile away from me.
10" don't take my plane" Then his
"And would revert to his awful expert
1,ncea ! hcid on TO them as long a.
l oo1ll-G God!"
Drifted Past Palm Beach
In more lucid moments the real story
tsc'e -roA him.
'lae plsne was just fifteen miles from
rs de- t.uation, Bimini, when the pro
3e!ler broke, he said lie guided it
sSaLeiy TO the water and they fosted
aepiessly. A storm came up. The
@!nds blew q terrific gale. Ii sent them
;Iap4dly 0orthward in the Gulf Stream.
rom Miami they drifted past palm
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