The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-01-11
CARLSEN CALM
AS HE TELLS
OF ORDEAL,

tons ran down through the center
Of the town. The last Of them had
been completed only this morning.
Besides the Keith and the Tur-
mol, several other ships waited
out the death OF the Flying Enter
prise. They included the British
tug DextrouS. the French tug Alb
ellie Is, and the Englishman, a
tug chartered by The Associated
Press as news and photography
vessel. and a lifeboat
Carlson and Dancy, given soda
tiveS to assure a nights rest, slept
Thursday night aboard the Tur-
MOL as it rode at anchor on the
choppy waves of Falmouth Har
Dor.
Garrison insisted that only the
last gale, which sprang up Tues
day night and broke his towline
to the Turmoil early the next morn
ing, spelled the final end for his
ship.
If that gale hadn't come up,
the Flying Enterprise would have
made it," he said.
He praised Dancy for bravery.
After the last few days, | reck-
on we should be pals for life. " the
skipper said.
Dancy credited the luck of the
draw" for his success in Scram-
bling from the bobbing deck of
the Turmoil to the Flying Enter
prise tilted far on her side.
1t was a split minute decision
and took it" he explained.
Before going to sleep in the Tur-
MOL captains bunk, Carlson as
sessed himself for damages and
decided he was pretty fit, con-
sidering.
The death of the Flying Enter
prise ended a heartbreaking Strug-
gle against the elements in which
man came within a whisper of
success.
A crew member of the Turmoil
revealed that just before the steel
tow cable parted in Wednesday
mornings darkness. arrangements
had been completed to pass a sec
ond, heavier lire TO the tilted.
laundering vessel.
| That would viertually have as
sured a safe tow into Falmouth.
The gripping sea epic had held
the attention of the Western world
since the last days of December
when, with her decks cracked open
by wild hurricane. the Enterprise
was abandoned on Dec 20 by her
crew of 40 and 10 passengers.
Carlson refused to leave. vowing
to stay aboard until I'm towed
or sunk" He was alone for six
days and nights until Dancy joined
him after the Turmoil appeared
to begin her perilous salvage eff
fort.
Carlson filled bis hero role to
j the full. He lived on crusts and
tea for seven days until the
destroyer was able to pass him hot
food, There was plenty of food
/ aboard, but he couldn't get to it.
, For hours at time, he crouched
+ in corner of the deckhouSe.
turned up in the air at crazy
angle. Time after time he sent
| CHEEKY messages over his little bat
terry powered radio.
After the destroyer sent him
food, he felt cheerful enough to
| sympathize with its crew, saying
they were taking a worse beating
] than he was.
| When he and Dancy finally got
towline fixed, the freighter was
800 miles west of the tip of Eng
land, and the safety of Falmouth
Harbor on the rocky coast of Corn
wall lay four days away at snail's
pace towing speed of - knots.
Just when it appeared thet gal
liant Carlson and his ship would
make snug harbor after many
| narrowing Setbacks. the treacher-
Gus wintry Atlantic SlaShed again.
Even when the towline snapped,
81 miles from Falmouth, hope was
not abandoned. But gale winds and
high seas blocked all efforts to
again hitch the Flying Enterprise
to the tug.
All day Wednesday and until
noon Thursday they waited for a
break in the weather. while Carl.
sen and Dancy balanced peril
ously on the sIanting. bucking
deck.
AS late as Wednesday night.
Carlson radioed his belief the ship
would come through all right if
the weather would ease a little
But il didn't.
The Flying Enterprise dipped
lower and lower into the water un.
I'll waves splaShed into her leveled
funnel. Only then did Carlson re.
luctantly admit defeat.
Under dusky winter skies. the
watchful convoy closed a ring of
safety around the laundering hulk.
Associated Press correspondents
and cameramen aboard the
Englishman saw two dim figures
appear out of the mist from the
deckhouse and creep along the fun
mel. Both wore lifejsckets.
Dancy plunged in. The Turmoil
churned to pick him up.
With last fond look at his ship.
Carlson followed him into the wa