The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-14
BY CAPT. JAMES w. WILSON
Master S. S. Gree Shell
written for the United Press)

Written for the United Press
A BOARD S. S. CIRcE SHELL,
L n June l4.-The Gree Shell left
Antwerp bound for New Orleans on
June 7. carrying creosote.
Nothing of note occurred down
the channel and the Lizard our last
view of home, was left late in the
afternoon of the 9Th.
We steered for the pass between
the westernmost Azores. The weather
turned unusually cold on the 9th
and persisted with westerly winds
and light seas. Similar condi-
tons prevailed until the evening
watch of the 18th.
The wind backed to southwest,
the barometer falling, the sky get
ting overcast, visibility decreasing
and the sea becoming confused.
1t is the usual practice to collabo-
rate with the chief officer in twi-
light observations, and the chief
officer was observing to westward
and myself to eastward.
No Sign of Life
My attention was drawn by the
chief officer to an apparent buoy
broad on the starboard bow, about
four miles Off 1t might have been
a cable of drafting buoy, but its
peculiar top markings induced me
to make a closer investigation by
telescope, which showed an air.
plane tail sticking up, one-third
submerged. There was no sign of
life.
The Gree Shells motors were
put to SLOW" and we approached to
about one mile. Daylight was fall
ing rapidly. Both the Gree Shells
motors were stopped close on the
derelict.
We were amazed to see a figure
which seemed to be dashed to the
machine. The plane heaved in the
increasing sea.
We blew the siren. The figure
moved and waved frantically. 1t
was obviously not dashed.
"Save My Ship"
The lifeboat was ordered away.
with eager volunteers under the
second officer.
He called through the mega
phone at distance of fifty feet.
The reply was in English
Il am Stanley Hausner; save my
ship"
We feared the plane would sub
merge at any moment, as the sea
was increasing.
Hausner literally fell into the
lifeboat. He was helped aboard in
almost complete darkness, to be
greeted by practically the whole ex-
cited Chinese crew, forty-five min
utes after being sighted first.
Lurching across the deck, he said
to the chief officer:
Thanks very much, captain;
have been waiting for you eight
days
Then he collapsed.
n
TIME captains radio dispatch re-
i veals by what an almost mi
raculous margin Hausner was saved
from death. A few hours later, the
Gree Shell would have passed by
blindly in the fog and Hausner
would have been left to join the
other Atlantic fiiers who died
at sea.
Hausner, a naturalized Polish
American, left New York on June 3
on an attempt to fly to Warsaw.
The weather off the Newfoundland
coast was bad and messages from
the Gree Shell indicated he was
forced down not many hours after
the start.
He was picked up Saturday off
the coast of Portugal, hundreds of
miles south of his course, eight days
after the start.
How his plane managed to survive
the rigors of the tossing the North
Atlantic so long is amazing.
The Gree Shell is headed for
New Orleans, where it is expected
about June 81. The plane had to
be abandoned.
Captain Wilson is an Englishman.
a seaman of many years experience.
He made several rescues of survivors
OF torpedoed vessels during the war.
He is making his first trip as master
OF the Gree Shell.