Evening star., 1928-11-15

WOMAN SAW LIGHT
AS ROWERS SLEPT
Survivor Says Men in Life
boat Believed She
Was Joking.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November 15-Mrs.
Earl F. Devore, survivor of the
steamer VestriS, said yesterday that she
sighted the searchlight of rescue ship
while the negro oarsmen of the small
boat from which she was rescued slept
early Tuesday morning.
The men in the boat at first thought
she was joking, she said, and believed
the flash Of the light was lightning. AS
there had been a storm during the
night.
Mrs. Devore and her husband, an
automobile racing driver, who was listed
among the disaster dead, left the Vestris
in lifeboat No. g.. The boat, which pas
sengerS said was patched with tin, soon
filled with water and was capsized by
huge wave. Before the boat was
overturned, she had jumped into an
other small boat which came along
side and which she said contained
only four persons, men in white coats,
evidently stewards
Throughout the storm, Mrs. Devore
said she was not alarmed, as she had
confidence in the ship and the officer"
Indeed I was not alarmed until
o'clock Monday morning when 1 looked
out of the portfolio and saw how much
Of a list the boat had" she said.
" There's something wrong said Mr..
Devore Just then Mr.. Batten (Nor-
man K. Batten, automobile racing
driver came in and said: Don't take
time to shave
I'VE went on deck. The slope was
dreadful. The ship was below water
on the starboard side as far as the
upper deck. We had to hold on to the
railings to prevent ourselves from
slipping down into the water.
ReaSsured by Officers.
y "The officers reassured us and told
us that the crew were throwing the
cargo overheard, and the coal, and that
everything would be all right.
I'VE had no breakfast, no coffee. Our
husbands went to the pantry and got
us some fruit
Passengers were certainly worried by
this time, but there was no sign Of a
panic. "a ~
st was about IL O'Clock Monday
when. they started to get the lifeboats
ready. At first they tried, without sue
cess, to send us off the starboard sidn.
Finally they had to try the port side.
That took long time
Mrs Batten, myself and our l1as-
bands were1 put in No. boat. It had
hole In it. They started to lower 1t,
but they had no hatchet to cut the
ropes. 1t was filled with peoule.
Mr.. Devore called up, to the captain
and asked whystfey putsso many peo-
pie in q leaking boat He made no
I'VE women had to crouch in the
bottom of the boat to give the men
| room ito work the oars-it was $50
crowded. managed to get my head
up after a few minutes-and the ship
was gone.
Sour boat leaked badly. We saw
ayIboat with only feur people in it,
men IN white coats, evidently stewards.
We called to them to take some of us
on. The boat came alongside and 1
jumped, thinking the others would fol-
low. But the men in the boat said:
We can't take any more. We've got
to pick up survivors, They pulled away
Of the crew. Iitoiild hear nv husband
and Mr.. Batten calling for help.
GIimpses SearchIight.
II pleaded for them to 60 back. but
they did not 60. They even hesitated
about picking up another passengers a
Mr.. Davis. was in the captains boat
smaller boat than the others. They
SAID 1t would be dangerous to 60 into
tAAC "ACNAdSC' DuI i peTSudQe0 them
at At least to go near it and we picked
Mr.. Davis up.
After that I did not see boat 8
again. They went out of my sight
All night I just kept staring to see il
could catch a glimpse Of them.
During the night the negroes slept
under tarpaulin. They would neither
row nor bail -
About midnight it stornied and
hailed, and there was lightning. They
rowed little then, but very ineff-
GENTLY.
II was not so cold. had not been
wet like the men. They were very cold
Il saw searchlight first. / don't
know the time. They thought I was
Joking and said it was lightning.
Finally at 3:20 they started to row to
the Searchlight. They got to the
american Shipper at S o'clock. One
boat had been picked up before as
Two or three other boats were rescued
later. was able to walk up the laddef.
but was told some Of the negroes had
10 be hauled up, although they had
neen sleeping all night"
Mrs. Devore saved her wire-haired
1ox terrier. Speed, which had lain at
her 1eet during the Is hours in the
boat.