The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-19
Second Section
Radio Hero
Official Order From Gov
eminent Gives Young
Operator Rest.
(Copyright. 1881. BY United Pressl
1T. JOHNS, Newfoundland. March

- 4
- ia government order was
required today to give Otis Bart
lett a rest.
Bartlett, the 21-year- old-radio
operator on bleak little Horse
Island, became the outstanding
figure this week in the rescue of
more than 100 survivors of the
Viking disaster and, Simultaneous
ly, he became one of the busiest
men in the world.
Four days ago Bartlett was dis
charging the daily routine duties of
wireless operator in the isolated
little ten-by-ten station on Horse
island off the northern coast of
Newfoundland.
Every day he could look out
across several miles of ice which
circled the island and see the
sealing ships hunting northward
for herds.
But last Sunday night the stout
ship Viking reached the end of her
half century of service in the seal
ing fleet, and the tragedy of her
last moment carried Bartlett to a
high place in the admiration of his
countrymen and in the eyes of the
world.
CUNDAY night the radio operator
- was listening in, when he was
startled by the sound of an eXplo-
sion.
He dashed out of the station as
a momentary flash of light ap-
peared on the ice far off the island.
Then all was silence again and the
light disappeared.
Other residents of the island
heard the explosion and rushed
from their homes, but they could
see nothing.
They talked it over and, knowing
that a sealing ship was of the
coast, decided it must have been a
gun fired to guide some seamen who
had gone out on the ice. After a
while they went back to their beds.
Early Monday morning, Bartlett
aroused the fisherman with whom
he boarded, and told him that he
had seen a steamer burning east
ward of the island.
The radio operator then dressed
and hurried to his station, where
he worked frantically for almost
four hours before he could raise
the relay station on the mainland
and get through message.
NTHEN the station finally re-
wv sponded, Bartlett flashed the
news that disaster had struck the
sealing ship. The flash reached st.
Johns at 10:4O a. m.--almost four
teen hours after the Viking had
been torn o.pieces and her crew
killed or hurled to the ice.
AL day Bartlett sat at his key,
scarcely taking time out to eat. His
work was slow and hour after hour
he fought static and inadequate
sending facilities to get through to
the mainland the news of the dis
aster and the need for urgent help.
Messages poured into the little
station and he arranged system
whereby he sent for. half an hour
and then received for half an
hour-plugging on throughout the
day and night as messages piled up
at both ends.
FINALLY, the government took
Il charge and gave official mes
sageS precedence.
On Monday night atmospheric
difficulties increased his task as he
fought off WEAKNESS and exi1aus-
ton, sticking at his post until day
without leaving the Office.
Food was brought to him. and
he carried on through Tuesday UNI
til nightfall, when it became APP
parent that the relay station at
Completion could not cope with the
situation.
Arrangements we're made for sta
tons at Twillingate, Port Albert and
Little Bay to take Bartlett's mes
sages in relays and send them on to
st. Johns.
But there was no one to relieve
Bartlett in his barren little Office
on Horse island, watching men
staggering in from the ice foes in
such pitiful condition that he must
have forgotten his own WEAKNESS.
LIE had no relief and only occa-
L Il sional maps, without leaving
the Office, until midnight Tuesday,
when the minister of posts and tele-
graphs sent through an official Or
der for cessation of traffic to Horse
island Ito relieve Bartlett of duty
until 10 a. m. Wednesday,
Bartlett was at his desk at 8 a. m.
Wednesday and opened the connec-
ton again two hours earlier than
ordered by the ministry. At mid
night the ministry ordered him to
rc>t again.
But Bartlett's greatest task was
achieved. He had brought seven
rescue ships, loaded with supplies
and doctors, to the ice pack off
Horse island.
The ships had picked up several
small groups of survivors who other
wise would not have reached safety.
The wounded and exhausted men
on the island know that Bartlett