Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-21
HQSkin Letter
b. 2
J.
A LIJsITANIA SURVIVOR

could hold on no longer, and he slid
into the sea.
| Mr.. Gauntlet says that the narrow
est escape he ever had in his life came
n moment afterward. He struck out
from the side Of the sinking ship and
! thought himself safe, when the great
masts slammed over into the water
Between them was strung the aerial of
the wireless, a complicated arrange
ment of strands of wire. As they
came down into the sea, they surround
ed him and it was with the greatest
difficulty that he freed himself. For
half an hour he swan around looking
| for Mr.. Knox and Mr.. Ferguson. but
| could not find them. Then he struck
| out for the shore-eight miles away.
When asked if this was not an ex-
ceptionl exploit for a man of his years
between As and 5O-he said:
Not especially, in view of the fact
that / have a cup for winning a 1O.mile
swimming race"
Exposes a Fraud
A curious aftermath of this e~xtraor-
binary experience was the exposure of
a fraud by Mr.. Gauntlet on his return
to the United States. Everyone re-
members how the lists Of missing pas
sengers and of survivors were pub
lished by the newspapers.
1t seems an old retired sea captain.
living in Newfoundland, had conceived
the idea of obtaining money on the
p~retence that he had picked up float
ing baggage of persons lost on the
Lusitania. Using the published list of
names of the lost and even of the sur
vivors, he circularized them saying that
their baggage had drifted ashore and
that for a stated sum he would forward
it. 1t was a scheme likely to attract
the next of kin of the drowned pass
engers. anxious to have the effects of
their lost friends or relatives, and also
likely to attract survivors who had lost
their baggage. Hundreds of dollars
were sent the old captain, but there is
no record of %anyone's having received
any baggage.
Mr.. Gauntlet uncovered the fraud.
Familiar with the sea and having been
a victim of the Lusitania disaster, he
knew the exact position of the ship
when she sank and knew that the ocean
currents were such that baggage never
would drift ashore where the old cap
tain said he had picked up many trunks.
Investigating. he confirmed his suspi-
cions and. upon publishing the facts
through the Coast Guard, saved money
for many persons.
Mr.. Gauntletts ownership of a mod
ern navy is a story equally fascinating.
He learned at a dinner party in Wash
ington attended by the charge d'affairs
of the Greek legation that Greece want.
ed to buy some battleships. He knew.
as a result of his intimacy with naval
facts, that the United States navy was
about to retire two fine ships. He con
suited Secretary of the Navy Daniels and
made A deal. He completed the other
end with the Greek charge d'affaires.
Then. by diligent application, he got a
bill through congress authorizing the
retirement of the warships and their
transfer to Greece.
By a curious technicality of the trans
action the two warships first were
transferred to Mr.. Gauntlet and by
him 70 the King of the Hellenes. 1t SO
happened that, because of the red tape
involved. a period of two days elapsed
in which he. as a private citizen. was
the sole owner of these two great war
ships. They were anchored in Hamp-
ton Roads. each burning about 200 tons
of coal a day just TO keep the boilers
warm.
The deal was consummated and
Greece took the ships. But Mr.. Gaunt-
lett has wondered what would have
happened TO him if. for some reason,
Greece suddenly had backed down. leav-
ing him in possession of the two vessels