Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-15
Philippine Escape
Pair Bottles Storm for Days to
Wind Up 20 Yards From Jops

By CAPT. WILLIAM LLOYD
OSBORNE and CAPT. DAMON
CAUSE, as Told to LEE VAN Alta.
18th INSTRUMENT OF FourteenJ
(Finally on their Uay to free
don, in Australia, Capts. Cause
and Osborne's craft, the Ruth
Lee, is suddenly caught in cross
beam OF light from tho enemy
wdrships. Today Capt. William
Lloyd Osborne tells Uhat hap
| pened.)
Rocky (Gause) kicked out our
single running light while slammed
shut the hatchcover to our cabin.
At least we hadn't been seen yet.
At that instant one Of the ships
began idly playing its searchlight
over the waters. 1t f1icked over our
craft, the Ruth Lee, once, but our
presence apparently didn't register
in the Jap searchlight operator
mind as he combed the sea with
a nonchalance which left us hold
ing our breaths in momentary ex-
pectation of being discovered. We
cut our motors and used our sails
only, trusting to luck that we would
pillow away from line of fire before
the other searchlights began prowl-
ing. Somehow we made tt-sheer
luck or perhaps destiny was the
only reason.
Neither of us slept much that
night for the escape had been too
close for comfort. BY now we had
settled into what for us was smooth
Navy routine. Rocky was undis-
puted captain of our sea operations
while I acted as first mate and cook.
I think I had the most important
job
We were travelling day and night
now and Rocky took the 6-to-12
shift while took the 12-to-6 watch.
The natives had provided us with
a typical Filipino stove, made from
a five-gallon kerosene can with a
dirt floor. We were using driftwood
for fuel. Our hardest job, of course,
was to keep replenishing our scanty
wood supply. We ate two meals a
day, breakfasting about 6 am. on
fish and rice, and eating dinner
about S p.m.-rice and fish. 1t
wasn't . very inspiring diet but 1t
kept our strength up, and that was
the important thing. Fish were
plentiful and whichever one of us
was on duty was expected to pro-
vide the bacon" for the next meal
The only book on board, Rocky
and agreed, was the most appro-
pirate thing we had It was Theo-
dore Dreiser's American Tragedy
Strangely enough, neither of us had
read more than so pages when we
finally reached Australia. We had
enough tragedies of our own. We
had so little time to rest and SO
much to do we hardly spoke to each
other. Besides, our first two weeks
together had almost completely
talked us out. Twice a day I would
say, Chow" and Rocky would say
"Okay." That would be enough to
last us q while.
| Meteor Breaks Down.
Little Swede," our Diesel engine
| WOO 0AAAAOSV RSA RSSA0Ay AA ~VuHAS
and We were right there with the
COMPOUNDED thing during every
spare minute of day and night
Once the drive shaft broke and We
had to put in the only spare we had
We worked for back breaking hours
in the broiling sun and when the
whole job was done we discovered
the drive shaft had q left-hand
thread while the connecting bolt
had q right-hand thread. We made
the remainder of the voyage OF
nearly 1000 miles with the pro-
peller tied to the Ruth Lee by a
spool Of piano wire that Rocky had
found In the bilges. Another time
Little Swede" collapsed on us COM
pletely and We had to put In at an
island which We knew had Q ma
chine shop
! We anchoeod In \ core about z