Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-28
LOST PLANES PILOT TELLS
OFSEA TRAGEDYBITBYBIT
Still Nursed in DeIirium by
Woman He Believes His
.Mother-He Talks in Luz
cid Moments

Associated Press. )-Nursed by d
woman whom he believes to be ms
mother and whom he refuses to per-
nit to leave his side, Robert moore.
pilot and lone survivor OF SIX per-
sons on the Inflated flying boat, Miss
Miami, which left this port last
Wednesday, lies in a hospital To-
night in a state of delirium, more
dead than alive.
Moore was taken by subchaser
off the tanker William Greene early
this morning as she passed here.
All during last night he was tender.
ly cared for by Mrs. j. Williams
wife of an official of the Pan-Amer.
lean Petroleum Corporation, VINO
was a passenger on the William
Greene. This morning when the re-
lief boat pulled alongside the big
ship, Moore refused to go without
her. When treasured that she
would be there, he finally permitted
himself to be transferred to the
smaller craft and brought to a hos
pital here, where another woman
took up the task of trying to pacify
his wandering mind.
Piece by piece during the night
and day, Moore has revealed the
tragic story of his terrible eXpe-
riences, clinging two days and two
nights to the wreckage of the lost
flying boat
No trace had been found tonight
of the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. All.
gust Butte and Mr.. and Mrs. Law
renee E. Smith, of Kansas City, and
Mrs. J. S. Dickson, of Memphis,
Tenn, who, one by one, gave up
their lives as the struggle became
too much for them.
Moore's statements while aboard
the tanker were retold today by the
captain, Charles A Wacksmith.
MOOre's Statement RetOld
81 was about forty-one miles OF
the East Indian inlet" said Captain
Wachsmuth, when, just about
dusk, sighted, mile to port. what
appeared to be a human figure fec
oily waving his arms a mile off the
starboard bow. We drew close UNI
til we could discern a man, who
appeared to be dashed to a spar. We
hove to, launched a boat, and rowed
out to the rescue. A heavy sea was
running and it was no easy ask.
but, after considerable difficulty, we
managed to get him aboard. He was
dashed with a piece of rope about
his waist, and was totally exhaust
ed.
LAS we cut him loose, he murmur.
ed, I'm sorry to put you fellows. to
so much trouble Then he became
unconscious. 4 =. ts
I'VE found that he had att aohea
himself in some manner to an
overturned flying boat. The exact
location in which he was picked UP
was latitude 27.3S north, longitude
1888 west. The time was $50 p. m.
I'VE undressed him and placed
him in my cabin where he was cared
for through the night by Mrs. j.
Williams, a passenger. We found
that his entire body was blistered
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 that at first we thought
he was blinded, but after Mrs. Will
liams had bathed his face he seemed
TO recover somewhat, though he
appeared to be entirely out of his
mind.
ION his person we found three
dollar bills in which he had torn
holes in his delirium, pair of
glasses and a woman's vanity case"
Mrs. Williams Story
Mrs. Williams, who reluctantly re.
nnqulshed him to the doctors aboard
the submarine chaser which went
out to meet the William Greene,
sad Moore had been in Il constant
dellrlum through the night and was
under the impression that she was
his mother. He told her practically
the whole story of his experiences
during the Sc hours he had been,
adrift in the gulf stream.
1t appears that the Miss Miami
had broken her propeller when
about fifteen miles from Bimini. and
that she had descended in the gulf
stream during a gale. All through
that night and the next day the flys
ing boat drifted helplessly north.
wards, becoming swamped after be.
ing in the water a few hours. An
EFFORT was made to pump the water
out OF the cockpit, but the sea was
running so high that the cockpit
was hlied each time wave washed
over the fragile craft.
On Thursday morning. as re1s+ed
~ Moore to Mrs. Williams. the nom
toOn of the boat sprung a leak and
soon afterwards turned turtle. Tie
three o1en-Moore, Bulte and Smith
managed to drag the exhausted
women to the top of the boat where
moore endeaVored to hold them.
one by one, however, the women
dled in his arms and slipped into
the sea, the fury of which seemed
10 increase with each passing hour.
Women First to Die
First. Mrs. j. S. Dickson, Of Menu
pms, died and fell into the ocean.
Ihen Mrs. Butte gave up the strug-
Sle' and finally Mrs. Smith also
succumbed. Butte and Smith, by
this time, it was related, were COM
pletely demented and, losing their
holds on the rocking flying boat,
slipped into the ocean. When night
came on, Moore alone remained Oh
the boat
In some manner" said Mrs.
Williams, Moore said he managed
to obtain piece Of rope, fastening
one end around his waist and the
other around his neck. This alone
saved him from being washed into
the ocean with the other five mem.
bers of the party. On Friday morn-
ms; the pilot, having been two DAYS
without food and water, was almost
at the end CT his physical resources.
During his delirium he told me
that nine ships had passed him whf.s
he was in the water, one of them
being so close that he could rwai
the name. Though he waved franz
tlCally no ore apparently saw him,
and the boats passed out of sight
leaving him to his fate.
Just before one of the men went
to his death he handed Moore q
large sum of money, asking him to
save it, but Moore threw it into the
ocean. When he was rescued all nc
had on him was 49,"
Mrs. Williams. was the only per-
son on the boat that Moore would