Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-28
HEROES TELL TALE
|OF RESCUE ON RADIO
Members of America Crew
Relate How Men Were
Saved From Sea.

~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. January 2B-The he
roes of the America last night told q
nationwide radio audience. in mat
ter-of-fact way, of their thrilling ex-
periences in rescuing the crew of the
disabled italian freighter Florida of
the Virginia Capes last wednesday
night.
Capt. George Fried, Chief Officer
Harry Manning, Chief Radio Operator
Nelson H. Smith and Salvatore Bracco
bow oarsman of the America lifeboat
crew, spoke from the studio of WABC
Co.'S chain. Brig. Gen A. c. Dalton
general manager of the Merchant Fleet
Corporation, introduced the men in an
address lauding their courage.
Tells Dramatic Story.
Manning's story of the fight through
the mountainous seas, the rescue and
the safe return, probably was the most
dramatic of all the addresses. After
telling of the selection OF the lifeboat
crew he commanded, he continued:
1T took US more than an hour &c
make the lee of the Florida, and II
was battle all the way. AT times the
waves were so high that the italian
we could see neither our own ship mol
the vessel in distress. 1t was after dark
when we put out from the America
and as the gale increased 1t became
more and more difficult to keep ouI
course headed for the lee rails OF the
Florida.
"The boat crew rowed like the very
devil and we had the wind at our backs
but the waves kept shooting up ike
big hills. We kept on and soon made
as close to the Florida as possible. HeI
decks were awash and she had very
bad list to starboard. It was apparent
that we had Just arrived in time.
."Bracco was In the bow OF our boat
and yelled to the italian crew, who
were gathered near the stern, to hold on
until we could pass them o line. II
would have been impossible to take our
boat up to the rail of the Florida. as
the boat would have been capsized
Wilson then heaved our line to the
deck of the Florida and Bracco told
them In Italian to make fast to the
line one man at time and We would
haul them aboard. They started in and
one by one jumped into the sea, using
the line to hold on while we pulled
them to the boat.
Six of Crew Injured.
I'VE flshed them out of the water
and got them aboard. We found out
afterWard that six of the Florida'S
crew had been injured. Two of them
had broken arms and two had broken
ribs. But they jumped and we fished
them in just the same as the others.
They were certainly plucky and had
their nerve with them.
After We got everybody of the Flori-
ia and the captain said there were no
pets aboard, we began to think about
getting back to the America. Frankly.
we didn't think we would be able to
make 1t. 1t looked like a pretty tough
pull. Then, with the sea that was run
ming, we wondered II we got back to the
America whether we would be able to
get aboard. The gale was still blow
Ing strong.
I'VE bobbed helplessly for while
and were then forced to press some
of the Florida's crew into service. With
two men at each oar W" got back to
the side of the Amc", =. >ich had
swung around TO r., us al. he lee
possible. In no time at all we re all
hauled aboard. That is about all there
Is to tell"