“DEAD” BOY RETURNS HOME.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 145999, 4 December 1917, Page 7

“DEAD” BOY RETURNS HOME.

FIVE DAYS UNDERNEATH OVERTURNED BOAT.

Since the war, returning from the dead seems to have become an easier matter than it was once, though still rare enough (says tho London Daily Nows). An astonishing caso occurred in London recently, when a youth named Francis arrived homo to find his family in full mourning for him. A man who is “missing” from a front-line trench in France is far more likely to bo heard of again than was this youth Francis, who was an ordinary seaman on a steamer trading out of London. The steamer was torpedoed recently, and all her company was picked up by a British destroyer excepting three men who were in a boat which capsized on being hurriedly launched. Tho three men disappeared at once, and wore not seen again. The boat was cut away, to float off bottom upwards. When Francis arrived home his mother disbelieved her .senses. As she puts it, “she nearly dropped.” Tho youth is not yet sufficiently recovered from his terrible exporicnco to be what is called “graphic.” As told to a Daily Nows representative, this is what happened. Francis was with tho other two men, enclosed within the overturned boat. They caught hold of a thwart and raised themselves, expecting to bo picked up. For two days the three men existed without food or water, their bodies half immersed; and then the two elder men died. There was a vague green twilight within the boat, which was full of hollow sounds. There was also food and water, but Francis could not reach them. Discovering his companions were dead, he pushed them off the thwart with his foot.

On the fifth day ho could endure it no longer, and, being a powerful swimmer, dived for tho outer world to die in daylight. Outside, though weakened by bis sufferings, he made a desperate struggle to roach the boat, and succeeded in getting astride of the keel. To that he clung for thr.ee days more, and was then sighted by a French destroyer. He was then hardly conscious, and was taken at once to a hospital at Brest, where good treatment pulled him round. He had been eight days altogether without food or drink*