Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-02
Baby Born in Lifeboaf
After U. 5. Ship
Is Torpedoed
Injured Doctor Delivers
Child as High Waves
Toss Small Craft
Pictures ~, pnne A-ol
Pictures on Page A-9J

BY the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, Va, April 2.--Attended
by q ships doctor in agony because
of two broken ribs, young mother
gave birth to baby boy In crowded
lifeboat pitched about by 15-foot
waves after their ship was torpedoed
and sunk of the Atlantic Coast Sun
day by an Axis submarine.
Rescue ships picked up 80 survivors
of the American passenger-cargo
ship and landed them here. Three
others were known dead and 20 were
missing, the 5th Naval District said
in announcing the sinking. Those
saved included 81 passengers and So
crewmen.
The three known dead were crew
members. Missing were Is crewmen
and II passengers.
DR.. L. H. Comfy of Brooklyn, N. Y,
told newsmen he delivered Mrs.
Desarka Mohorovicic, %, of an g.
pound son in total darkness, without
aneSthesia and with only the simple
instruments" contained in the life
boats medical kit.
Mother Bore Pain Bravely.
Mrs. Mohorovicic, wife of an at
tache of the Yugoslav consulate in
New York, was in labor for three
or four hours" but stood the pain
well, DR.. Comfy said, adding that
she was "a brave lovely woman"
The baby was born IS hours after
the survivors took to the 1ifeboats,
in which they were tossed about by
high seas 40 hours before their
rescue. The mother and her baby,
together with Mrs. Mohorovicic's o
year-old daughter, Visna, were taken
to Norfolk hospital. where they
appeared today to have suffered no
Ill effects from their narrowing ex-
perience.
Every one was good to me-" the
young mother said from her hos
pital bed. She said that after the
baby was born she placed him inside
her dress to shelter him from the
cold. Her legs were badly bruised
when she fell while making her way
to the deck with Visna in her arms
after the torpedo struck.
Mother Describes Experience.
Mrs. Mohorovicic said she had ex-
pected her child to be born this
week, but I thought he'd be here
In New York-in free America. But
1t wasn't so badly. We're here,
we're well-grace de Dieu."
The blond, husky young woman
had had other narrowing experiences
on her trip to America.
I'VE went under bombarding on
the way to Cape Town from Ankara
where visna was born" she said.
That was badly, too"
1.-THE sea she very, what you call
it, rough" she said, describing the
heights Of the waves with sweeping
motion of her descriptive hands. Il
was In cabin with her." pointing to
Visna. THE torpedo strike. take
up her and blankets and start up
stairs. The second torpedo, she
strike us; I failed down the stairs.
See-marks on me-" she said point
ing to black bruises on her legs.
Doctor Hurt in Fall.
From his bed in another hospital,
Or. Comfy told how two of his ribs
were broken in fall into lifeboat.
He had no time to get his medical
bag after the submarine pumped
two torpedoes into the ship, DR..
Comfy related. g.
After the baby was born, the
doctor said, I'VE took a turban from
another woman in the boat and
wrapped the baby in it." He said
the "a persons in the boat had given
their blankets to other survivors
on a raft and the only cover avail
able for Mrs. Mohorovicic was a
sail which was stretched across one
end of the boat.
When their rescue ship came
alongside the lifeboat, one of the
crewmen handed the naked baby
UP to a seaman on the deck of the
rescue vessel.
Il have never seen an expression
on any ones face like that on the
face Of that seaman" DR.. Comfy
said.
The crew of the rescue ship and
surviving passengers of the tor
pedoed vessel put together S210 and
presented it to Mrs. Mohorovicic.
The Norfolk branch of the Navy
Relief Society provided a layette.
Mrs. Mohorovicic named her son
Jesse Roper Mohorovicic.