Evening star., 1942-08-25

|NOQSI 1UQFO
The sloop Elsie r. was back at her
Galesville md mooring today and
her crew of six Warrington resi-
dents were none the worse follow
ing a day-long search of Chesa-
peake Bay by Navy planes and
Coast Guard patrol craft yesterday.
A narrowing tale of being blown
nearly Is miles across the storm
swept bay when almost within sight
of Galesville Sunday night and
living OF sandwiches and soft
drinks. with water rationed for all
hands, was told by the party when
they arrived In tow Of a Coast
Guard boat at dusk yesterday.
The search for the 32-foot aux
iliary sloop began early yesterday
when the parents of one Of the per-
sons on board notified police and
Coast Guardsmen that the boat was
due to return to Galesville Sunday
night. A Navy observation plane dis
patched from Annapolis sighted the
Elsie T. at 4 pm slowly sailing
against head wind OF the East
ern Shore below Bloody Point.
A Naval Academy patrol boat took
the craft in tow on the point and
at the mouth of West River lead
ing to Galesville a Coast Guard
boat in command Of Chief Boat
swain Mate Joseph w. Jordan OF
Baltimore picked up the Elsie and
brought them safely to Hartge's
Boatyard in Galesville.
Praise for Skipper.
From members of the crew" came
praise of her skipper, D. Edgar
Thompson, 80, of $3.50 Jocelyn street
NV, for bringing them safely
through a near-gale thas swept the
bay area Sunday night. Other
members Of the party were the own
er's wife, Elsie, "a; John Phillips,
80, and A. N. Turner, IS, roomers
at the Thompson home; Carl Klef-
beck, 81. son OF Maj. and Mrs.
Victor B. Klefbeck OF 3731 Jocelyn
street, and Miss Sarah Mcdonnell,
10, daughter Of DR.. and Mrs. Curtis
G. Mcdonnell Of Chevy Chase, Md.
1--WE wouldn't be here now. II it
were not for Skipper Thompson"
said Mr.. Klefbeck on coming ashore
last night. His parents, who first
notified authorities, had motored to
Galesville to greet the party. The
youth also had praise for MFR. Tnrner
who saved him from being washed
overheard during the height of the
storm.
The party left the bay fishing
town at noon Sunday for 4 sail to
Bloody Point. Mrs. Thompson ex-
planned. About pm. they started
back across the bay to West River.
Because their engine would rot
work and the wind was light they
made slow time coming back. BY
dusk they were still several miles
from the mouth Of the river.
When the storm struck, the Elsie
was of Beverly Beach, she said.
Even two anchors down would not
hold the boat, which the Thompsons
built six years ago. As the wind
and seas increased, Mr.. Thompson
ordered every one into life jackets.
It was around 80 am. yesterday
before the storm absted and they
found themselves rolling helplessly
IN the middle Of the bay.
SOS Goes Unheeded
I'VE flashed an SOS with fash
light to several large steamers pass
Ing by but they did not see u.s." Mrs.
Thompson said. They finally saw q
tug with string Of barges and Its
captain promised to notify the Coast
Guard. ss III s.1.s ,,e7-7.-r
With the coming Of daylight the
yacht ensign was set flying upside
down-an international signal OF
distress. This, too, was Of little avail,
Tor It was not until late In the day
that the plane circled overhead, and
finally landed on the water nestby5
TO say that help was ON Its way. -
Mr.. Klefbeck admitted that he.
Mr.. Turner and Mr.. Phillips be-
came "a little sea sick" but that
Mr.. and Mrs. Thompson and Miss
Mcdonnell came through without 4
. sign OF seasickness. The Elsie's
stove was without fuel. so all hands
drank soft drinks at breakfast yes
terday. When this ran out, the party
was ordered on short rations OF
water.
1t was the second "shipwreck" for
the Thompsons, Mrs. Thomson
said. She and her husband were
lost for two days on q 16-foot boat
IN the swamps Of Albemarle Sound
IN North Carolina. That time they
finally walked ashore, she said.