The New York herald., 1922-03-27
Pilot CHARGES BOAT
PASSED BY SEAPLANE
WRECK, REFUSING AID
Dived for Man Missing Af-
ter All Six Had Been
Thrown Into Sea.
BODY FLOATS BY WIFE
Victims Perished One by
One and Were Cast Adrift
From Craft.
SMITH THE LAST TO GO
Sole Survivor Tells Of Pathetic
Message; Faces Pneumonia
From Long Exposure.

MIAMI, March 26.-Physicians in
attendance on Robert Moore, pilot of
the Miss Miami, fear pneumonia may
develop because of his fifty-fve hour
fight against thirst, starvation and
death. He has recovered from his de-
lirium, but is still shaken with, the
horror of his experience.
I'VE left Miami said Moore to-
night, "at 11:04 o'clock last wednes-
day morning in the face Of stiff
northeasterly wind. At 11:41, about
three minutes out OF Bimini. some
thing broke off the propeller. I auto
matically looked for a ship or shoal
to land by. I saw a fishing smack
and yolplaned down to tie water
about 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
rising. and before long the hull of the
boat sprang a leak. The nose of the
plane began rising. Then big wave
came along and lifted us. The plane
turned over. and we were all thrown
into tie sea.
Misses Her Husband.
Mrs. Butte came to the surface
first. then Mr.. Smith and Mrs. Smith
OF the three none could swim. I sue
ceeded in getting them to the over
turned plane. Mrs. Dickson and Mr..
Butte had not appeared on the sur
face. Mrs Butte made this discovery
"'My God! my husband. where is
hep she cried
II told here he would be all right in
a few minutes and dived into the water.
but ! could not locate either him or
Mrs. Dickson. Mrs. Butte began TO
weep dived again and obtained
cushions from the plane to use for life
preservers. AS ! returned to them ]
saw the body OF Butte floating. /
stepped directly in front of Mrs. Butte
and obstructed her view. AS the body
passed me ] noted a wound on his fore
head. He must have been killed before
he struck the water when the plane
overturned.
within the next thirty minutes the
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 whistling. ] believe
/ did. 1t kept up my morale. And the
fishing boat changed its course
II cant understand in Gods world
why he did not keep on toward US. He
knew / was In that locality somewhere.
for he had seen me come down. could
SEQ his name on the boat. less than
half a mile away. as he went on"
often swept Overheard.
"The winds rose during the night and
the women grew weaker. At least twelve
times they were swept over. but I
swan out and got them and brought
them back each time.
"The next day our hopes rose as we
saw other boats pass but none came
within less than a mile and half OF US.
/ tried TO keep up the morale of the
II helped marvclously. but one Of the
detected.
eve wcathered the storm OF Wedncs-
day night after a terrible experience.
and Mrs. Butte died Thursday. ! saw
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith clasped In each
others arms and one OF 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 floated away.
Thursday, as dusk approached. Smith
grew deiirious and I strapped him on.
At times he appeared rational and asked
me what chance thought we had OF be-
ing rescued. told him I thought we
would yet be saved, and he said:
81 don't see how we can hold out
much longer. Don't you think I had a
brave wife?' I assured him that 7 rad
never seen more courageous woman.
"'All right. Bob, he answered. prom
ise me that II 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 I died.
Chcws Blood From Fingers.
"I chewed the ends OF my fingers
until blood came TO appeasc my christ.
saw boats pass and waved 10 them. but
none saw me. As dusk appeared Friday
night began TO believe that il was all
UP. I tied a ropo to my neck. but
was SO weak that 1t seemed there wasn't
much use. l guess | was unconscious
when the boat came after me, for
don't remember much more"
The most tragic part OF Moore's story
was how he and Lawrence ". Smith. the
last OF the victims to die, became so at
tached TO each other that In Smiths last
hours they were alternately in laughter
and tears Moore. to keep up Smiths
spirits. would tell jokes and picture the
beautiful island on which they soon
would land.
Finally. however, Smith realized h
was dying. He then took three one dol.
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Coufluucd an Pare Nina