Evening star., 1923-09-11

the leading vessels onto the La Honda
cliffs, an estimated twenty miles from
the ocean lane they believed they
were following.
The Delphy crashed first and within
a few moments six of her sister ships.
Chauncey, Young, Woodbury.. 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 Nays
speed boats into sleeves; the Young
turned over and imprisoned nineteen
of her crew below decks In berthS
that became their tombs. Three OF the
Delphy's company also went to sail-
ors' graves. while three more OF their
shipmates went adritt on raft Their
fate still is in doubt.
Warning Comes Too Late.
| Tho 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 shrill
siren split the fog In warning to
the remainder of the squadron. The
whistle blast probably saved eleven
| of the flotilla, 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 illumina ton
of their tilted decks was an occasional
hand fiashlight.
Swims Forty Feet to Rocks.
" H.. -
the Delphy swan forty feet to the
nearest rock with life line ano
his shipmates came along II hand
over hand. Erckenberg again jumped
/ into the raging sea and carried the
line ashore.
Chief Boatswain's Mate Peterson
of the Young duplicated the cleo
tricians feat. Peterson carried n. line
from his vessel to the Chauncey and
gave his comrades Il slim pain OF
safety from their overturned ship
The crews of the Woodbury. and
Fuller, speared on two sides by the
same cluster of crags. clung TO their
ships all through the niSht Thev
were the farthest out of the untortn-
nate seven ships and were taken of
at daybreak by a fishing smsck that
| doomed up a welcome rescuer through
the fog.
Three Missing From Raft.
For those who reached the shore
during the night the dark, cold
hours in scant wet clothing were
almost as trying as for their squad
ron mates still aboard the wrecks.
Later railroad ties were gathered and
camp fires were lighted. Doctors came
from Lompoc to attend the five score
| injured who were bruised and bat
tered by the pounding surf.
Two life RATS put off from the
stranded fotilla and headed blIndly
for supposed safety through the
| black fog. One. with Ave men
aboard, was picked up at Alright. a
naval wireless station about three
miles south of the wreck this morn
! ing. Three men are still missing.
Oil from the overfiowing tanks of the
| wrecks coated the sea and added to the
| chances of death for the men of the
feet. More fortunate comrades, who
/ succeeded in gaining the shore or a
/ foothold on adjacent rocks told of their
| shipmates slipping from their grasp as
they endeavored to drag them TO safety.
The fog, treacherops currents and the
J air full OF confused radio, tied the hands