The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, January 22, 1943, Page PAGE EIGHT, Image 8
Cassatt Boy Relates Story of Sinking of Aircraft Carrier
1
Young Walter V. Wntklus. hoii of
J. II. Walking and tho lute Mm.
Wutkins, wuh hero for a month's
furlough recently. The lud was a
survivor of tho aircraft carrier Hornet,
aunk hy the Jups in the Pudflc.
Wo asked young Watklna to give uh
a Htory of the sinking, hut ho said ho
was not allowed do ho bocauHo H.e
government had not releusod the
newH. Youiik Wutkins writes un
from Memphis, where he 1h a pharmaclHt
helper In a government hospltal
there. He lellH an interesting
Htory uh follows:
Kditor Chronicle: You aaked me
Hoveral tiineH to tell you all I could
about the Hornet and my experience,
but at that time I couldn't give you
a full story uh I hhw It, but now I
think I can Klvo you an Ideu of what
it waa like.
The date, October 20; the ship, If.
8. 8. Hornet. I'm aure I can nevor
forget either. We hud been at boh
In the southwestern Pacific for four
weekH, patrollnR the bosh and loolcIiir
and HpollliiR for a tlRht with an
enemy who Hoemed to be afraid to
come out of hldliiR to tlRht. In fact,
everything soomcd too qutnt to ault
uh?something like the lull before tho
Htorm. Several dayfl prior to tho engagement,
we began receiving reports
of Jap ship concentration In
the Solomon's urea. Rumors began
going around thut we would boo action
Boon and then on October 25 we
received a report stating that a largo
Jap task force was sighted in the
vicinity of the Santa Cruz Islands,
only two hundred and fifty miles
from our task force. We began Immediately
to prepare for an inevitable
battle that was to come. After
everything was made ready for tjction,
everyone ofT watch turned fn for
flome Bloep and rest, and except for
a tenseness among the men, one
would never have thought Home of
these young men would never live to
see another sun set. The admiral
In command of our taHk force informed
us of his Intention of attacking
early on tho next morning. Our
attack group left the ship about 9
a. m. and headed for tho enemy who
was 200 miles distant: At 9:40 wo
were called to buttle stations duo to
a report that enemy planes were approaching
our force. The expected
attack came at 9:50 and lasted for
nearly 20 minutes. I had Just flushed
checking my first aid kit and don
nlUK my ?111 I flash salt. Wo wore
Instructed to lay prone on the deck
with our arms folded under our cheat
to prevent concussion of the lungs.
I remember the last word pusscd over
our speaker system. Those words
were siH>ken calmly, ulnioat as If lu
a drill: "Knemy planes are directly
overhead, a bombluK attack Is Imminent.
All hands will scatter out as
pre-arranged." I don't know how I
came to remember those words. It's
Just one of those strange things that
happen under such circumstances.
The |lrst bomb, an armor piercing?
missed 'mo by ten foot, but didn't ex
plode until it hud passed beneath
me. I never saw my first aid kit
after that. I suppose you, like oth
ere, will wjuU to know how I felt.
That's Impossible to answer. I only
know that I prayed and asked that
1 be spared, and I might add, I wasn't
the only one either, yes, I was
scared plenty, but I believe It's only
natural for unyono to get scared at
a time like that. We received several
torpedo hits during the first torpedo
attack and ull the power wus
knocked out. Our gunners did a
magnificent piece of work. Somo reports
state that sixty-odd planes
were destroyed out of an attacking
force of approximately seventy or
eighty pianos. Then came the lull,
time for the wounded to be gathered
und treated. I'm proud to be able
to say that I helped to treat some
men that would have died, had they
not received treatmont. I take or
ask no crodlt for anything 1 did, It
was only my duty and I did It as
woll as I could. I saw friends and
shipmates dying around me, so believe
me when I say "War Is he lit"
Wo had several other smaller attacks
during the following three
hours but received no hits. A cruiser
had begun to tow us when the final
attack was made. It was another
torpedo attack at about 4:30 in the
afternoon. We received another hit
&nd took a heavy list to starboard.
The captain then ordered all hands
to abandon ship. It may sound silly
to you. but I hated to leave the Hor[not.
It seemed like leaving home
and everyone that means anything
to me. The attack was still In proI
greks when we abandoned ship because
I later sat on u rubber llfe>
raft and watched the planes dive at
I the ship. it wasn't meant for me
to keep my raft long, becauso a piece
of shrapnel hit and burst It aud or
course I had to awlin for It. I stayed
lu the water for ultuost two hours
before a destroyer rescued us. A
few minutes before the rescue I had
the good luck of hooking a ride with
some friends on unuther raft. An
odd thing happened then?several Of
us were from Bouth Carolina aud of
all things to do, we sang "Just a Little
lilt Bouth North Carolina.
The destroyer that rescued us was
one of the ships ordered to complete
tho sinking. I'll never forget tl^e
"Hornet" as I last saw her. She vtl
stricken but her Stars and Stripe*
and battle ensign still proudly flew
to tho end.
Twenty-one days later'I landed at
a west coast port, proud to be Id the
good old U. 8. A. again. Five dags
later all hands were granted thirty
days leave and seven . days travel
time. 1 don't have to tell you ho^r
glad I was to get homo again.
I'm stationed at the Naval Air
Station at Memphis, Tenn., temporarily,
I'm to go on duty at the Naval
hospital when It Is .commissioned.
May I add In closing that I haven't
forgotten my buddies who died on
October 26 and I do hope to get another
crack at the Japs soon.
That Is my story in detail, as
as I can tell you. I wish everyone
could know how proud I am to be
able to say that I took part in a war
against a ruthless enemy who doesn't
know what freedom and liberty
means.
Arrives at Training Center
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Jan. 18?*
William A. Prother, Route 1,
Ridgeway, who recently entered dillitary
service, has arrived at the Emplacement
Training Center here for
an Intensive training program In preparation
for combat engineer duty.
Training will Include basic subjects
like close and extended order drill,
manual of arms, rifle marksmanship
and combat principles as well as the
functions of military engineering?
use of toolH and equipment, building
of fixed and floating bridges, demolitions
and construction of roads and
obstacles. Soldiers go from here to
tactical units or to special training or
officer candidate schools.
Normal jaw pressure of a man In
biting is 60 to 65 pounds, but the
normal bite of a woman is only 25 to
30 pounds.
THE POCK ETBOOK1
of KNOWLEDGE ^ I
A * W Type or
VWNPOW PAMe OP w
-n?AH?PAPCWT PIA?TIC '
L/JMlMATgPWiTMWIRe i
MC6H WHICH WILL f
WITW6TANP THtt
eXPL06)ONl OA*ISO-IB.
&OM&, ei6^i\nwA\w?X
i iWe "TERM "rttCUT)\fC \
MAMS/OA/ WAff -TMe \
OFFICIAL NAME OF THE \
WHITE HOU6C UNTIL THgOOORE\
ROOSEVELT* ADMINISTRATION^
. * Teopy * MADE THE "WHITE
' HOUSE " OFFICIAL By HAVING
rr PRINTED ON STATION ERy
( AND DOCUMENTS
AM tfouRS WOR* .
WILL Boy 7.5T POUND6 0Tl?ffV?
A 6ERMAM C7?N Bl>y 5" POOMD*
JS OF THE VATIOV'S MAJOR.
/NPUSTRIES HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPEP /R THE LAST 62 YEARS .
CREATIVE VJORK FOR ABOUT A
v J5,000,000 /M
PBRSOMS
Chase of Convict8
Results in Capture
The "Shandon Prowler," who was I
charged with breaking Into 28 Columbia
homes and boasts that he entered
at least 60, is back in custody.
The object of a Vide search since
he and four other convicts escaped
from the state prison farm at Boykin,
Kershaw county, January 4, he
was arrested early Sunday morning
at a lumber camp near Greeleyville
on a tip that came from Sheriff J. E.
Gamble of Clarendon county.
Nabbed at the same time by state
officers J. L. Dollard, of Sumter, and
Fearless Lambert, of Kingstree, at
the direction of Chief S. J. Pratt
were two other escapees, Jesse Huggins
of Elliott, who was sent up from
Lee county to serve a life sentence
for murder, and Jesse Moses, originally
of WarsaV. in Williamsburg
county, who was sent up from Sumter
county for the theft of five automobiles.
Two others who participated in the
January 4 escape were previously
captured before they got out of Kershaw
county.
Sylvester McCullough, or the
"Shandon Prowler," as he is known,
and the name by which he likes to
identify himself, was in a talkative
mood yesterday and related freely to
Chief Pratt and his captors the story
of his escape, his travels since then
and the events leading up to his series
of robberies that terrorized one i
of Columbia's most thickly populated i
residential districts for several '
months. |
, During his short-lived freedom j
from the prison farm, he again visited
the Shandon section of Columbia,
but this time he was on his way
to Williamsburg county and did not
stop to pay any calls, according to
his story. "But boss, them streets
looked awful familiar," hd added.
McCullough claims I>amar, his native
town, as his home.
"When I came to Columbia," he
said. "I started going with a school
teacher. I wasn't making enough money
to be in her class, so I started
stealing.
"I got to be a great church member
after I came here. At preaching
I would always be the first one to
put money in the collection plate.
I'd walk down the aisle and drop 60
cents on the table. I could hear the
congregation saying, "Who's that putting
that 60 cents in the collection?'
And I could hear them say, 'Why,
that's Mr. McCullough.' Then maybe
that night I'd steal that 60 cents
back from them."
The "Shandon Prowler" said that
his Btring of robberies included homes
of both Negroes and white persons.
Here is the story of the escape of
the five men as told to Chief Pratt:
They plotted their break in advance I
and made their getaway while dig-!
King stumps.
All were unshackled except Mc-'
Cullough. When he got away he
carried his axe with him and chopped
off the shackles.
All five found a fishing boat on the
bank of the Wateree and crossed the j
river in it.
They headed toward the Wateree
bridge between Camden and Colombia,
but saw a light, turned back,
built a fire and went to sleep in the
swamp. ~ ""
While they were there, bloodhounds
used by searchers picked up
their trail and bayed them. They
threw sand at the doge until they
could get enough distance to run.
One of the quintet hit upon the
idea of shaking black pepper on his
own trail to stop the dogs. He carried
a can along with him for this
purpose and of the Ave men, he was
the one caught by the dogs.
McCullough, Moses and Huggins
escaped.
They walked adong the railroad
track to Columbia and passed through
the center of the city in the daytime.
While walking on Main street,
they spaced themselves several yards
one behind the other to avoid suspicion.
For a day and a night they hid on
the banks of the Broad river near
the state penitentiary and the city
waterworks, then they started out
for Williamsburg county where Moses
was familiar with lumber mill workers.
As they passed through Shandon,
McCullough pointed out residences
he had robbed.
They walked to Sumter, then to
Manning, then to Greeleyville. They
secured food and lodging along the
way by stopping at country homes
and begging or doing chores to pay
for their room and board, they said.
Several housebreakings in the vicinity
of Foreston. which is about
ten miles from Manning and two
miles from the Williamsburg county
line, furnished the major clue that
led to their arrest.
Sheriff Gamble received reports of
these and also had Information that
the trio had stopped at several homes
and asked for food. He relayed these
reports to the state officers and
from them Chief Pratt and his men
picked up the trail.
It led to the Brooklyn Cooperage
lumber camp (BOO employes) near
Greeleyville, where It was learned
that three Negroes, claiming they
were from Virginia, had applied for
work and secured Jobs Thursday.
OfTlcers Dollard and Lambert planned
to arrest them In a lumber camp
cabin Saturday night, but the cabin
was crowded with Negroes in a gambling
game and there was a chance
that the wanted men would escape
in the crowd if the officers walked
in. So the officers waited until daybreak
Sunday morning.
They walked Into a cabin and found
McCollough and .Huggins asleep.
Confronted with their photographs
and other Identifying matter, the two
escapes immediately admitted their
identity and surrendered without a
struggle.
If they had received their pay for
their three days' work, "the prowler"
said he would have been "long gone,"
but he had not received his pay.
Each of the three had borrowed $2
from his employer Saturday. McCullough
and Huggins had lost theirs
gambling.
Moses was found still gambling In
a nearby cabin and was' arrested on
the spot.
The tlrae Negroes were brought
to Columbia and placed in the state
penitentiary, where the "Shandon
prowler" will continue serving his
25-year sentence.
When asked by Chief Pratt why
they escaped, McCullough, who appeared
to be the ring leader of the
plot, replied, ''Cap'n. I'm a ladles
man and I was looking for company."
Machine tool plants In the United
States number about three hundred,
each employing about to to 160 men
and representing an Investment of uj
to $1,000,000. Usually each plant
specialises In one or two partieulai
tools.
. m
FSA FAMILIES 00 NOT FEAR
FOOD RATIONING PROGRAM
Actual records on food produci ion I
of 193 Farm Security famUlou m I
Kerakaw county fof 1942 show u
marked Increase over food produced
In 1941. These families have cooperated
fully In the program "Food for I
Freedom." I
In the livestock part of the program,
the records'9how fbat 400 hogs
wore killed for home use of moat and
lard, while 200 were put on the mar- ;
ket. Actual figures also t?how thai
16,200 doaen eggs and 10,639 fryers
were sold during the yea*:, as com- I
pared with 12,000 dozen eggs and 6,000
fryers sold in 1941. Six thousand,
good laying hens are being carried
over for 1943. Milch cows were in -M
creased from 196 In 1941 to 225 in
1942.
Home garden acres vol#", almost
doubled in 1942. There were 195 |
acres of home garden and 230 acres
of truck crops planted. The produce
from these truck acres was sold to fl
local markets and to private homes.
189 bushels of rice wer.e .harvested ?
from 20 acres. This is a new crop W
for FSA families and they plan to S
plant more acreage In 1943, 7,163
bushels of sweet potatoes and 2,550
bushels of wheat werle harvested as I
well as 1.722 gallons*^! syrup made. *
For the 192 families, a general av- J
ernge of 379 quarts per family was
made. 65 families met their canning
budget while 11 families canned far
in excess of their quota. 11 beeves
were canned as compared to 9 in
194i. , ,t '
Twenty-five families received Merit J
Award Certificates for meeting all
of their goals In 1942 for "Food for
Freedom." In addition to this two
Negro families, Dobe Drakeford, of
Kershaw route 6, and Sam Patterson,
of Camden route 1, received cash,
awards in the Kershaw county corn
contest.
just what all of these figures mean
is explained in words from Mrs. Lem
L. Bradley, of Kershaw, Route 2,
"We have more food than anybody ;
also an expression from Mrs. Clifton i
Hall, CasBatt Route 2, "Besides canning,
drying and storing away enough
food for my family, I have sold $160 ,
worth of mustard, beans and peas to
the airport $200 worth of milk and
butter to private homes and $50 wprth. ^ j
of tomatoes to market."
Although Kershaw county had extremely
poor crop years in 1941 and j
1942 FSA families grew long staple
cotton In 1942, and that is why four
families are able to pay their entire J
Indebtedness. All of this indebtedness
would not have matured until a j
year or two later. One family paid ^
their entire loan with money receiv-- ed
from sale of hogs. i
Robert Lee Tree !
Planting in March
The planting of a tree in Kershaw
park in honor of General Robert B.
Lee, America's greatest soldier,
scheduled to take place last Tuesday ,~i
was postponed until sometime in
March when the district meeting of
the United Daughters of the Confederacy
is to be held in Camden.
While the weather was such as to
prohibit any outdoor exercises and
necessitated the postponement, it. was
felt that to have the dedication in
connection with the District meeting
would be more fitting. 1
The U. D. C. wishes to request all
who were invited to take part in the
program Tuesday are asked to he
present when the ceremony takes
place in March.
The program commemorating General
Lee's birthday was held at the
Camden grammar school Tuesday at
9:45 a. m. The program was J
charge of Mrs. Susie Taylor s fifth
grade pupils. * ?
Outline War Goal x
For Local Farmers
(Continued from first page)
against last year'# figure of 10,336,000 j
pounds. Egg production must be ug
from 374,114 dozen in 1942 to 416,229
dozen In 1943, Hens and pullets on
farms January 1, 1944, .must tota
61,389 as against a previous figure Of Jj
67,892. Chickens raised on farms
must total 160,800 as against 143,610.
Turkeys raised on farms mult Increase
20 percent for a total of 5,400 J
in 1943, as against 4,600 In 1942. Corn ||
must show a slight Increase to
34,510 acres this year, as against 32,531
acres last year Oats this rj
m,.*t total 8.800 acres, as against 8/ _-|?
693 acres In 1942. Tame hay Is prac- . 1
tically unchanged but soybeans IE?* , |
total 208 acres this year, a?
183 acres last year. Irish potato## listed
at 280 acres In 1942, must have Jg
ah additional 10 seres this
Sweet potatoes are unchanged. ?s. . Lx)
' the acreage of wheat *7?
Increase of percent or 1,024 l*V.
for 1943, as against 9,063 acre# * J"*
ago. All -cotton and tobacco ren^M?
wwAiiiiigA - - or-1. --?
,
the^i^Sin^oiMy t^_tbs^
[ ATTENTION!!! I
^ FARMERS ? I
I Owing to the fact that the War Production I
I Board will not allot the factories enough steel I
I very few new Cole Planters and Fertilizer Dis- I
I tributors can be built this spring. I
I Therefore you must REPAIR I
I Your old Planters and Distributors I
| | Come in. We have a complete stock of Genuine j j
I COLE REPAIR PARTS I
I OLIVER PLOWS - BACK BANDS I
I PLOW LINES - TRACES - BRIDLES I
j rj
I Barringer Hardware Co. I
J Phone 21 Camden, S. C. [