Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-11

formation and steering behind their
leader, the Delphy, by dead reckon
ing and wireless compass directions
from shore.
The shore directions are said to
have become garbled with the food
Of air messages on the Cuba wreck
and the speedy destroyer was left to
the fog-and the sea.
Then the evil genius of the latter
added its quota to the seafighters'
dilemma and cross currents swept
the flotilla out of its course to fling
seven of the leading vessels onto the
La Honda cliffs, an estimated 20
miles from the OCeaB lane they be-
lieved they were following.
The Delphy crashed first and
within few moments, six of her sis
ter ships, Chauncey, Young, Wood
bury, Fuller, Lee and Nicholas, were
impaled with her on the rocks. A
heavy surf swung them back and
forth against the reefs, pounding the
frail sides of the navy's speed boats
into sleeves; the Young turned over
and imprisoned 10 of her crew be-
meath decks in berths that became
their tombs. Three of the Delphy' s
crew also went to sailors graves
while three more of their shipmates
went adrift on a raft. Their fate still
is in doubt.
The Woodbury. rammed another
.crag and listed heavily. The Fuller
Joined her on the seaward side Of
the same rock. The Lee grounded
close in shore and the Nicholas
came to her end few yards farther
out with her bow pointed landward.
AS the Delphy touched bottom and
a moment later crashed, her shrlll
siren split the fog in warning to the
remainder of the squadron. The
whistle blast probably saved eleven
of the fotilla but six of the leaders
of the column behind the Delphy
were too close to avail themselves
of the warning and plunged forward
to their doom. The other deStroyers
of the flotilla had taken a different
course.
With the grounding Of the craft
their fires were banked, searchlights
were dark and the only illumination
of their tilted decks were occasional
hand flashlights.
Chief Electrician Eckenbcrg of the
Delphy swan forty feet to the near
est rock with lifeline and his ship
mates came along hand over hand.
Eckenberg again jumped into the
raging sea and carried the line
ashore.
Chief Boatswains mate Peterson,
of the Young, duplicated the cleo
trician's feat. Peterson carried a
line from his vessel to the Chauncey
and gave his comrades slim path
of safety from their overturned ship.
The crews of the Woodbury. and
Fuller, speared on two sides by the
same cluster of crags, chung to their
ships all through the night. They
we're the farthest out of the untof-
tunate seven ships and were taken
off at daybreak by fishing smack
that doomed up a welcome rescuer
through the fog.
For those who reached the shore
during the night the dark, cold hours
in scant, wet clothing, were almost
as irving as for their squadron mates
still aboard the wrecks.
Later railroad ties were gathered
and camp fires were lit Doctors
came to attend the five score injured
who were bruised and battered by
the pounding surf. Thirteen of the
more seriously injured survivors
were rushed to n Santa barbara hos
pital. A..
stranded fotilla and headed blindly
for supposed safety through the
black fog. One, with fve men
aboard. was picked up at Alright,
naval wireless station about three
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