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NUMBER 42Ed Riley Adrift on Raft Seven Hours in Mid OceanCarpenter's Mate 2nd Class Edward W. Riley, a former employee at The Republican office, is borne on a furlough visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Riley, for the first time since hla terrible experience following the torpedoing of the United States transport; Covington, when he with four other seamen were adrift/even hours clinging to a raft in water up to their afmpits and dressed only in a pair of trousers and light undershirt.Ed, who is only 22, obtained his patents' consent and enlisted in the navy the first of July 1917. He was soon assigned' to duty on the Covington which was the German ship. Cincinnati, until Uncle Sam requistioned her upon our entrance Into the war. The Covington was one of the. largest transports carrying*as many as 6,000 troops in a single trip. Be bad made five complete round-trips on her and was returning on his Bfxth round-trip when she was hit about 210 miles offLook at Your LabelWe have corrected our mailing list to January 15th. Please look at the date on the address label of this paper to make sure that you have received proper credit for any payments you may have made on subscription. In case of error, please notify us at once in order that correction may be made.The Cazenovia Republican.Carpenter’s Mate 2nd Class EDWARD W RILEYthe French coast. It was 9 10 o'clock in the evening »nd at the time Ed, having just taken a bath, was sitting in a steamer chair on the upper deck with nothing on but a pair of trousers and a light undershirt. The torpedo, which was the largest type, struck the ship amidships right below where he was sitting, and Ed, chair and all went about ten feet in the air. Fortunately he was not hurt although six men were killed in the engine room. There would have been more casualties had it not happened that a moving picture sbow was being given near the bow of the ship end most of the :rew were forward. Douglas Fairbanks was just in the act of kissinga pretty girl when the torpedo itruck—“some sma»k,’’ they all said.A terrible gaping hole was torn in the ship’s side and the engine room, sngines and boilers were jonk. The ship immediately listed about 80 degrees and as the aea was running high, the waves Came over the top. In a Pew minutes, however, the water distributed itself in the hold and the boat righted. All hands were immediately tailed to quarters and thirty-five min-knowing whether they would be overcome with the cold and have to let loose their hold before helff should arrive. While the air was warm, the water was bitter cold. Nor could they be sure that the destroyers, which they knew would answer the distress calls sent out, would ever find them as of course .they were drifting. But they did bold on and when daylight broke they saw the destroyers which had come out from the French coast in response to the calls, bearing down on them. They flew the American flag and you can bet it never looked better to Ed than then. The search was not given up till every man from the Covington had b(een picked up. They were taken on board and given hot baths and hot food and in a few hours Ed felt as fit as a fiddle. Except for a alight touch of rheumatism, be has never felt any ill effect of his harrowing experience. He didn’t lose an hour of duty.Of course, he lost all bis effects and clothing for, after being hit, no man was allowed below except for rescue work. The destroyers landed the suivivors at Brest, the great American debarkation port in France, and there they were refitted.Hu then asked to be transferred to destroyer duty, and was assigned to the U. S Destroyer Drayton No. 23 (the lucky ship) and since that time he has been doing convoy work, picking op survivors, etc.Off his first night home, after the signing of the armistice, the fleet of which the Drayton was a part, came into Boston harbor and there they were given a royal welcume. Mr W G. Chard of Cazenovia, who is spending the winter near Boston, invited Ed (a former employee of Mr. Chard s Meadowood Farms at Cazenovia) out to his home and told him to bring a friend with him. This he did and they were fed up—it being the biggest meal Ed had had since enlisting in the navy.Ed wears two gold stripes, representing fifteen months’ foreign service.While he was on the Covington, be had advanced to the rank of 3rd Claes Gunner's Mate but one night when was in charge of one of the gun ere a submarine came in view off the bow It was a dead easy shot and without waiting for orders from their superior officer, they “let her have ft.’’ It wbb a clean ball's eve, the bow of the submersible lifting cleen out of the water but inspite of the fact that they “got her’’ every man on the gun crew was reduced in rank one grade because of having fired without orders. The captain complimented the crew on its good marksmanship but the ruleB of the navv must be observed and so he
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Cazenovia Republican
Cazenovia, New York, US
Thu, Jan 16, 1919
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Kathryn M.
CA, USA 03 Jul 2018
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