THIRTEEN DAYS ADRIFT

Evening Star, Issue 19197, 13 March 1926, Page 10

THIRTEEN DAYS ADRIFT

Two Americans, Charles if. Smith and Frank S. Mitchell, both 01. Boston, left Liverpool recently in the White Star liner Regina for Boston, alter an adventurous trip, during which they were for thirteen days adrilt in the Atlantic in an open boat. On December 7 last year they left Boston in a. motor launch to make Gloucester (Mass.), thirty miles distant, taking with them, oniy one gallon of water, twelve sandwiches, and live cigarettes. The engine broke down beyond repair, and they began to drift. Many times they sighted other vessels, hilt could not get within hailing distance. After eleven days the schooner Kontclair, of Nova Scotia, found them, and made several attempts at rescue. The sea was so rough that there was a danger of running the launch down, hut eventually the schooner took her in tow, Tho tow rope, however, parted, and the two vessels drifted apart and lost sight of each other. Altogether the launch drifted for thirteen days, for the_ last five of which the two men had neither food nor drink. The launch was eventually siglited by the Ellerman Hall liner Newby Hall, which put out a : boat and took the men aboard. The Newby Hall was hound from New York lor Gibraltar, where Smith and Mitchell wore landed. Two days later they left for Liverpool.