The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-25
five DROWN AS
FLYING BOAT
FALLS IN SEA
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Continued from First Page
died in his arms from exhaustion,
two OF the passengers became panic
stricken and jumped overheard to
their deaths, and the remaining
male passenger slipped quietly into
the sea on Friday morning as re-
suit of exhaustion.
The incoherent story told by the
pilot before he lapsed into a semi
conscious condition, is that shortly
after the Miss Miami left this port
last Wednesday morning a broken
propeller forced her down. She
rode the waves in safety, drifting
y northward in the Gulf stream. On
Thursday morning the hull of the
fier began to leak as a result of hit
ting against something. Men and
women passengers took turns using
the pumps until all became ex-
hausted and one of the women, on
Thursday night, which one, Pilot
Moore could not say, jumped over
board. man whom he thought
was her husband, leaped after her
and both disappeared.
! The fate of the man and woman
depressed the other two women and
they tainted. but were supported by
Pilot Moore for seven and a half
hours.
Drops Bodies in Sea.
After seven and a half hours the
two women died in the arms of the
pilot and he gently dropped their
bodies into the water which had
now claimed four passengers.
This left only Pilot Moore and
August Butte, vice president of the
Larabee Flour Mills corporation of
Kansas City. They took turns man
ming the pump in an effort to keep
the flying boat afioat, keeping this
up until Friday morning when they
were exhausted. About this time a
huge wave came along and over
turned the fiier. Butte and Moore
scrambled over the side of the boat
and Moore fastened a rope around
himself 10 support MIN II case he
became uuCOns cIOus.
4 Standing On his icet he waved q
' white handkerchief, keeping this
up all day long.
After praying for help Butte,
realizing his condition and that
death WAS rot fa- away. took a roll
Of Uoney, containing $1,000 from
his pocket and handed it 70 Moore,
saynS:
Last Man Dies.
You are a younger man and may
be able 10 come through, but /
cannot hold out any longer
Then he, too, dropped to his
grave beneath the waters of the
Atlantic.
According 10 the story of Moore,
nine boats passed the Miss Miami
after she was down, one so closely
That he could read her name, but
hey did not see the wrecked craft.
ne said that on Wednesday and
I sf1dag he saw planes flying over
LEAD, but saw none on Thursday.
Mrs. J. Stewart Williams, wife
o. consulting engineer in the en-
ploy Of the Pap-American Petro-
leln company, WAS aboard the
William Green and took charge of
TIE stricken pilot when he was
rescued.
In his delirium Moore fancied
She vas his mother aud kept re
beating:
Mother. You made me give up
The automobile racing game. but
cont take my plane away from
ne"
Sees Gods Hand in Rescue,
Divine Providence directed the
scue, Captain William Wachs-
.Gute of The William Green decIar-
Cd. He said that something i'm
pelieG aim to go TO a point OF his
regular course and that when he
ilG this he sighted the wrecked
ieGpiane with its only survivor. 1t
Vas dusk when he came from his
sabin for the last time Friday night
0etore going below and as he look |
ii out over Ire waters he noticed
Al object. Using his glasses he
-sw that 1t was something waving. |
sie turned his ship towards the !
ss.ect, and although a high sea
vas running. lowered 4 small boat |
As Tho craft reached the side Of !
he overturned fier Moore fell ex-
iausted in their arms.