The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-12-04
Woman, Children
! Tell of 10 Days
On aSman Raft
Missionary Relates Awful
Experiences After
Being Torpedoed.

NEW YORK.-Mrs. Ethel Bell, a
slight gray-haired woman. who until
recently was a missionary in French
West Africa, told here how. with the
help Of prayer, she shepherded
four children for IS days and nights
ON a storm-tossed eight-by-ten-foot
raft shared by IA searnen In the
South Atlantic.
Mrs. Bell, whose home is In To
ronto, Canada, told her story before
q small, attentive group in the board
room OF the Christian and Mission
airy Alliance of New York, in the
presence of her two children, May,
IA years old, and Robert, IL, who
were with her on the raft.
The two other children she cared
FOR after the merchantmen carrying
them home from Africa was tor
pedoed and sunk one Sunday after
noon-Carol Shaw. seven, and her
brother Richard, Is, of Pawnee
City, Neb.-are still in hospital in
the British West Indies recovering
from the ordeal, Mrs. Bell said.
They lost their mother and sister
in the sinking.
Mrs. Bell, in clear voice charged
with religious fervor, told of the ex-
perience which almost ended dlSaS-
trously when a United Nations de-
stroyer which rescued them shelled
them by mistake at first and almost
killed them all. believing their raft
to be an enemy submarine.
Sharks Snap at Them.
Mary and Robert Bell, who ap-
peared to have recuperated, COM
pletely from the almost three-week
trip on the crowded raft, interrupted
their mothers story from time to
time to tell about the sharks that
snapped at them if they lolled in
their sleep too near the edge of the
raft.
1T was lovely Sunday afternoon
when l heard the sudden crash OF
the torpedo hitting the Ship" Mrs.
Bell said. Il helped my children
into lifebelts, and we prepared to
leave the ship. A second torpedo
struck Everything crashed around
US, and the air was full of flying
iron and steam.
I'VE got into a lifeboat, but a
sailor warned US TO abandon it, be-
cause it was damaged Mary and
I got out, but before we could get
Robert out the boat fell and he was
thrown into the water, along with
other men and women.
eve all went into the water after
them. l remember plunging into the
green depths and then coming up
again to see the heads of my two
children bob to the surface.
"A life raft picked US up. The raft,
Quilt to accommodate eight or ten
persons, was crowded with IS of
US, including Carol and Richard
Shaw. We were cramped and I'M
comfortable, but the crew worked
efficiently. They rugged mast and
sail, and We set out for land.
Conserve Rations.
1.-The issuance of rations was the
high point of the day for US. There
was only pemmican (dried seal
meat and water, and we had to be
careful not to consume the supply
too quickly.
The captain of the ship, a pas
senger on the raft, died from ex-
posure during the second week, Mrs.
Bell said A few days later United
Nations plane saw them, circled low
and dropped two packages contain
ing food.
ION September Is we saw some
warships, and then destroyer start
ed to approach US. About a quarter
OF a mile away it began to shell US
heavily. We tore down our sail and
waved it. and the destroyer stopped
firing. Then we were taken aboard.
Later We were landed in the Bar
BADGES. and passed about a month
In hospital recuperating.