The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-03-25


away from me-"
That Divine Providence had some
thing to do with the rescue is the
firm belief expressed by Captain Viii
liam Wachsmouth of the tanker. He
said that something impelled him to
go q point off his regular course
and that when he did this he sighted
the wrecked seaplane with it's one
survivor
! 1t was dusk when he came from
his cabin for the last time Friday
night before going below and as he
looked out over the waters he noticed
an object. Using his field glasses
he saw that it was something way
ing. Then he turned his boat to-
wards the object ind although a high
sea was running he lowered a small
boat.
AS the craft reached the side of the
overturned flier,, Moore fell exhaust
for some time.
! Miami. March 25. Early today
no further information was available
as to the cause of the accident that
forced the flying boat Miss Miami
down on the open sea with six per-
sons aboard, and the fate Of the five
passengers probably will not be
known until the pilot, Robert Moore
picked up last evening by passing
steamer is abble to give coherent
account. Moore was rescued by the
S. S. William Green, south bound
about fifty miles off shore, and about
100 miles north of Miami, at G:30
last evening, the captain of the YES
sci advising by radio that he was
the sole survivor of seaplane that
was painted pea-green.
The sub chaser 154 met the Will
am Green a short distance north of
Miami at 8 O'Clock this morning and
was to bring Moore to this city. The
captain of the steamer reported by
radid last night that Moore was
more dead than alive from exposure
and that he was unable to give any
Iaccount of the accident to his plane
or the fate of the passengers, Mr..
and Mrs August Butte and Mr.. and
Mrs. Lawrence e. Smith of Kansas
City. and Mrs. j. S. Dickson of Mem
phis. The pilot of the airplane had
clung to the craft for over fifty hours
| in a heavy sea-. From the fact that
| the plane was described as being
painted pea green it is believed here
that it capsized as the wings of the
craft were silver grey.
! The Miss Miami left Miami at
11:30 Wednesday morning for the Is
! land of Bimini in the British BAHIA
mas, flight of only forty five min
utes. It's non arrival was report
ed that night and every available
searching for the missing craft all
lday Thursday and Friday.
Kansas City. March 25. - A dis
patch received here this morning
from Miami, Florida by the Milling
Company headed by August Butte,
enc of those missing in the wreck
OF the flying boat Miss Miami states:
pilot rescued Delirious but
mumbles passengers gone on" Still
feel hope"
Plans are being formulated this af-
ternoon for the recovery OF the bodies
of the five passengers lost off the air
plane Miss Miami Probably both air
planes and boats will be used for the
| puTpOSG, Tie lOl SPONbAA6
| the bodies and the boats for picking
them up after being located. Boat men
fear, however, that being so far from
shore, more than forty miles, sharks
and other big fish would make away
with the bodies before they could be
found or before they would be washed
ashore.
After the delicate operation of trans
| ferring the sick man at sea, Captain
James and his crew of the sub-chaser,
lost no time in getting back to the
municipal docks, making record run
after passing through the government
cut The chanel across the shallow
three-mile bay is narrow and the side
are rock, making it necessary for
boat to use caution in traveHsing it.
| Delirious and exhausted from his
! terrible experience in the wrecking OF
! the flying boat Miss Miami, Pilot
Robert Moore has but one thought up
permost in his mind-that he did the
best he could to save the lives of the
two women who died in his arms.
Mother, mother, held on to them
Just as long as | could,'' he moaned.
Then he would be quiet for few min.
utes only to break out again with the
same thought.
Further information furnished by
members of the crew of the tanker
William Green. which rescued the
pilot, indicate that the first woman to
collapse was Mrs. Lawrence Smith of
Kansas City and that it was she who
! in frenzied panic jumped overheard.
The rescuers believe that from what
Pilot Moore said it was her husband
who either sought to save her or.
knowing that death was likely near
for all the party. sought to join her
in death.
This left Mrs. August Butte Of Kan.
sas City and Mrs. J. S. Dickson, Of
Memphis, Tenn, as the two women
who tainted and were held for seven
and a half hours in Moore's arms.
Moore in his delirium, keeps calling
| that he did the best he could to keep