Evening star., 1924-01-17
MEN SAY CAPTAINS.
CALM SAVED'SH|P
IN FACE OF DEATH
Heinen Refused Sandwich,
Saying He Would Breakfast
at Home at 6-He Did.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LAKEHURST, N. j., January IA
full blown pride in the gale-tossed
Shenandoah radiated from every man
of the twenty-five who rode out last
nights mad storm in the air Levia-
than as they left their beds in the
hangar today.
What a ship, man, what boat she
isw
Thus did they. from Capt. Heinen
down to the lowliest seaman, epito-
mize the achievement of their craft.
"It was a rough ride, but a good
one" declared Charles P. Burgess,
civilian member Of the bureau Of
aeronautics in Washington. who was
aboard to observe the ships behavior.
under mooring strain. And he voiced
the sentiment of his mates.
did you ever hear Of any ship go
ing to sea in q wind blowing
seventy-five miles an hour?' he asked
pridefully, "a ship with hole in
her bow, two compartments filled
with water and half Of her steering
gear torn away. and then come back
into port?
'.Men Were Wonderful"
Really, it was magnificent. Every
man aboard behaved wonderfully.
After the first furry of surprise
when the Shenandoah broke loose
the men did their work just as calmly
The only difference was that we were
undermanned, and everybody had to
do better than double duty"
The same pride in crew and bat
tered ship was evinced by Lieut..
Commander ]. NJ. Deem of Memphis,
Tenn. the chief engineer.
THE boys were splendid he said.
'Just as splendid as the ship. She
never would have made it, stanch
and gallant as she is. had it not been
for the men aboard.
Before a minute had passed-and
the first minute was a mad thing that
brought us face to face with death
the engines were humming away and
the men about their duties as calmly
as though it were just an ordinary
trip on a bright summer morning.
One man was at each of five OF -khe
six engines doing the work normally
done by three.
Get Ship Undy Control.
Hc TcSl o1>SaidI IllaO minute was
spent in getting the ship under con-
troll apT putting the wind at our
BACKS. Then. after We had the lurch-
ing bag Strengthened out as much as
possible, we tried to ascertain our
damage. But it was impossible. No
man could walk atop the bag in that
wind. He would have been blown
ten miles off.
"The first hour was the worst
you know what they say about the
| first 100 years! We had the devils
own time. with our damaged steer
ing equipment, to keep her headed
properly. The wind was not only
mans sized. but L was crochety and
fckle, first howl ag out of the south
east, then jumping at us from the
south, veering to the southwest, and
/ finally, at the time we landed blow
ing from the west.
1--WE kept her low. between 500 and
900 feet up, because the wind was
blowing harder the higher we got.
| The elevating rudders were nol dam
aged. She's a great ship. great
ship. We never knew before just
n was Just an incident in the days
work to l.. K. Coleman of Fort Worth.
Tex, chief machinist's mate. He was
almost surly about 1t when asked of
his experiences.
Says He's No Hero.
What you trying to do? Make
hero of me? There's nothing to tell
about. We had a good enough trip.
and If there's any talking to be done
it'll have to come from the fellows
with the gold braid
Everybody agreed that Capt Heinen
was responsible for the orderly eff.
fictency of the crew in the face OF
Imminent death. They told of his
smiling calm and his unfailing assur-
ance that all would end we'll.
Edward F. Douglas of Baltimore,
one Of the four men in training for
Army dirigible work who were
aboard, told of offering the captain a
sandwich.
mo thanks says he: If eat now
it'll spoil my breakfast appetite. I'll
have breakfast at 6 o'clock, and TIL
eat it at home. too That's the kind
Of fellow he ISL