Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 44, Number 101, 8 March 1919 — Page 16

PAGE TWO

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM. MARCH S. 1919

How Brave Boy Doing His

Encountered The steamship Dumaru, bound for Manila from Portland, Ore., found herself wallowing in a rough sea off the island of Guam. The barometer was falling, dark clouds were coining up on the horizon, the wind was zooming steadily through the rigging and Jagged forkd of lightning steadily flashed across the sky. In the radio house, Theron Bean, 16 years old, was having trouble with his instruments. The tropical storm which even then was breaking over the lumbering ship was so charged with electricity that it mads working the wireless apparatus difficult. Unable to do much, young Bean went out on deck to watch the storm. Suddenly there was a bright flatb, a tremendous crash and the Dumaru, struck by lightning burst Into flames. Her cargo consisted of gasoline and other inflamable and explosive goods and the danger to the ship was gfeat. Taking in the peril immediately the young radio operator sprang ' Into Lis cabin and frantically began to pound out the call for help, the "S. O. S." which everywhere at sea 13 the signal of distress. But out of the air there came no answering call. Perhaps it was because the instruments were put out of commission, perhaps there was no ship within the signaling radius of the Dumaru. But no help came. Eighteen minutes after the ship was struck, young Bean, with flames bursting out all around him In hi3 little wireless house, quit his post. Already the lifeboats had been launched so he fearlessly leaped into the sea and swam to. the nearest. In the meanwhile back in Portland (for this is a true story) young Bean's parents were frantic with fear for his safety, for the newspapers had carried a brief Item to the effect that the ship had been lost. Then one lifeboat landed at Honolulu, but Theron was not aboard. The second boat landed several days , later, 200 miles from Honolulu, but the boy. was not In it, either. Then came the news that the third boat had landed on the island of Samar and that on board it was young Theron Bean, burned, weak and hungry, but alive! , . A letter from the boy to his parents tells the story better than any one else could do it, Is printed below. Now a word about young Bean himself. He was only 12 years old when he became interested in wireless telegraphy and began to experiment. While the pocket money of his companions was going for toys or candy, Bean was buying equipment for a little wireless station of his own. It took a long time to do this, but when his station finally was set up he was the envy of all his friends. Then the United States got Into the war and the Government ordered all wireless stations dismantled. Down came Theron's little wireless outfit, but the boy was determined that he would become - a regular operator at the first opportunity. This came last year when he took the prescribed course in the Portland Y. M. C. A. and followed it up with the college preparatory coarse and graduated in both by the time he was sixteen. He received a first-class license as a radio operator and then he began to look for a chance to go to work at wireless. One day the telephone in the Bean home rang. It was Theron. "I've got a chance to go to Alaska on the steamer City of Seattle," he told his startled mother. "But they say I'm under age and have to have your consent. Will you please write out permission for me right away. The steamer is duo to call today." Realizing what her refusal might mean to the boy and knowing that he was able to take care of himself, Mrs. Bean wrote out the required permission and Theron sailed. He returned safely a full fledged radio operator. The Dumaru was about to sail, but it needed a radio man. The Dumaru . was under Government ; control and the need for operators was great, so Theron pleaded and once more his parents let him go. i Then followed his startling ad1 venture and his heroic adherence to duty in a moment of danger. i" Samar, the island upon which

Duty

Many Perils on the Sea j young Lean was cast, is the easternmost of the Visayan group of the Philippines and is third in size among the islands of the archipelago. The coast, on the east side particularly, is cut up into small inlets and headlands and the landing of the boat from the Dumaru seems to have been the work of Providence, for even a skilled seaman would hesitate to try to make a landing there, for fear of smashing his craft. Samar was one of the last of the old strong holds to yield to American forces ! ...1 . 1 1 j . 1 i ucii me i.MiUiu p;tsseu uuuur our control after the war with Spain. It was not until 1902 that finally the last of the old native leaders surrendered and promised to be good. Young Bean was lucky in escaping with his life in the jungle, for it is a great wilderness and difficult to traverse. Theron came back to Portland the other day and there was a wild time in the Bean home. His parents wondered what effect the shipwreck would have on Theron's ambition. He settled the question. "I still love the sea," he said, "arid I'm going out and get another job just as soon as I am fed up and get back some of the weight I losL" THERON'S OWN STORY. Safe at last as" you probably know by this time. I am hot going into details about our awful experience while twentv-four davs at sea, eleven without food and 1 seven without water; ' men dying by pairs and fours almost daily, : raving maniacs, in most cases, be-'j fore going; how we could see rain j squalls all around us, and nothing j for us; how our boat capsized in I mountain breakers, while attempting to land on Samar's rocky coast, thi3 being bound by coral reefs on which I was smashed without a life-preserver, my head being deeply gashed, and my body cut and scratched all over; how I spent tne lonely night in a real jungle, with monkeys, - snakes and birds for companions; how I stumbled to a native hut in the moming and with sign language obtained water and cocoanuts and a mat to rest on; how the next morning I met my companions in a settlement, how we were transferred from place to place until we finally came by boat to Manila. These, things will give an ink ling of it all. to you; I am not writing more, for it is doubtful if this reaches you before we get nome. Do not be surprised to see me under weight, although I am pretty strong now. I still have 24 pounds to regain. When we land ed from the life-boat I weighed 70 pounds. The only way 1 pulled through those twenty-four days was by God's help and by will power. I was very weak when I reached 'the boat from swimming, and lightning burns, received in the radio cabin. I sent S. O. S. signals eighteen minutes, but was forced out by flames striking around the base pf the cabin and approaching unconsciousness, brought on by the heat, and the shock of the discharge. The latter caused my arm to be black and numb or six days afterwards. I could never tell if our messages S. O. S., were being received, for my whole receiving tuner was burned out by static discharge, which shortened the circuits through me. It about burned me out, too. Lone Scout. Little Toming Grace Little Tommy Grace Had a pain in his face Too bad to read a letter; When in came Dickie Long, Singing such a funny song. Tommy laughed and Found his face much better. Richard Noggle. 4B, Finlcy School. BEN'S STRAW HAT. Once there was a boy who had a straw bat. It was a comical sight a comical fight indeed. It carried hay to the horses, brought eggs from the mow, caught butterflies. It has carried rait to the cows. It is all torn now. It hangs on tho wall now. - Mnry WkkelC 4A, Sevastopol School.

VANCOUVER is

piWRM mMi'fJ ft ifmlMi m&i -Jii :Wm

jay:L.Ar Tf- frf Hotel G

thirty-third birthday in May. As cities go, she is a mere youngster, yet travelers who pass through this gateway between East and West, know her as a fine modern city. It is hard to believe that up to May 1886, the year that the Canadian Pacific linked Atlantic and Pacific, the site of VaVncouver was virgin forest. The new town grew as if by magic, but when only three months old was wiped out by fire. Immediately it was rebuilt and continued to grow and improve until we have Vancouver of today, rich and beautiful. Several causes contributed to her rapid growth. First and foremost, she was the western terminus of the first trans-continal Canadian railroad; secondly, she was built about one at the finest harbors in

SCRAPS FROM SAMMY STAY-AT-HOME'S OLD KIT BAG

One day, Pat and Mike were walking down the street till they came to a corner. Pat said to Mike, "Let's see who can get the most jokes." So Pat went one way and Mike the other. Pat came to a man and asked him if he knew any jokes, and the man said, "Yes." So Pat asked what it was, and the man showed him. The man put his hand on a pole at the side of him and told Pat to hit it real hard. So Pat swung with all his might. The man took hi3 hand off the pole real quick, and Pat hit the pole, "Whoop-la!" Although it hurt, Pat thought he would try it on Mike, so when they met again, Mike asked if he had any jokes, and Pat answered, "Yes." Mike asked him what it was, and so Pat looked around for something to put his hand on. He found nothing, so he put his hand over his face, and told Mike to hit it real hard. So Mike swung with all his might, and Pat jerked his hand away, and Mike hit him right in the face. John Newland. Starr School. MODERN FAIRY TALES. Once upon a time a little girl was asked to play before a room full of company and she Bald, "I shall be pleased to, my music is at home; but I always play without my notes." Thirty days hath September, . April, June and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which has tour and twenty-four,

RICH IN ANCIENT

iaii world, a harbor to which come the finest liners in the Pacific trade; then too, a delightful climate, beautiful scenery, and being the outlet for a rich farming and lumbering country were important factors in adding to her population aiid wealth. Much of the tide of travel to and from the Far East goes through Vancouver and travelers, as a rule, arrange to stop over there. A babble of tongues, Oriental and Occidental, resounds through the sp;i cious room of the Vancouver Hotel, a mammouth modern structure. From its popular roof garden ar. unsurpassed view of the sea and couver offers many pleasures tc her visitors including motor drives through Stanley Park, with its age old giant cedars, visits to the grea salmon canneries, with their inteiAnd the leap year, one day more. John Charman. GIRLS' NAMES PUZZLES. The following odd looking groups of letters are really the names of girls, but the letters in these names have been all shaken up. Can you arrange them right? Hezalibhte, Leovel, Olyld, Erelfonc, Thur, Nerfacs, Lazeh, Ynaps, Leucil, Adilh, Onar, Lseie, Tarnv grae, and Rynhe. Charles Schweizer 3A, Warner School. (Answers will appear next week.) DID THEY? A school teacher died last month and they thought she died from a disease in the brain. They looked to see and found a bunch of question marks. (?) William Winnen. Warner school. "I dropped into the court house this morning and lost my overcoat there. "That's nothing, last week I lost a suit there." Roll Wadman. Warner school. "When I marry I'll mary a candy woman." "Why?" "Well, If I don't like her I can lick her." "I saw a freak of nature yesterday.-"What was it?" "A baby born with human hands and bare teeL" ' , v

INDIAN LEGENDS

fitesting Chinese village, , bathing, boating, golfing, mountain climbing and splendid hunting. Although the Indians have given Vancouver over to the Pale Faces, their legends still enwrap the old home of the Siwashes. Pauline Johnstan has gathered many of these into a little booklet and through it we learn that those rocks known as the Lions of Vancouver, are monuments to Motherhood so much revered by Indians; that the Si wash Rock in the The Narrows stands for clean fatherhood; that Thunder Rock in the Cajilano River is an everlasting record of sacrifice for tribal welfare; ;hat Mt. Baker is Ararat to the Red Man while magic for bringing faorable winds may be invoked by oucbing Homolsom Rock at Point 3rey. "Horrible fire in shoe factory." "Any lives lost?" "A thousand souls." Sam: "What is wood, Jake?" Jake: "Well wood is wood like a tree is wood." Sam: "That don't tell me any thing, now tell me what wood really is." Jake: "Wood is a block like that sticking on your shoulders." Melva Hoffman. "Did yoju hear it my wife la married." , , t "To whom?" "Why, to me, of course." Thelma Mackey. CZRCHO-SLOVAK BOY REAL WAR VETERAN. Jan Kevtnik The battle-scared hero who salutes you in the above photograph is Jan Kevtnik, a Czecho-Slovak lad of thirteen, who has to his credit four years in battle, where he fought alongside of the men, two nicks on his gun for two dead Germans, and a badge of honor for the capture of a cannon. He is in the United States to be educated under the direction of a professor of the University of Chicago and a military training school. Jan saw much fighting, having been on Ave fronts, the Russian, Turkish, Hungarian, Italian and Austrian. He tramped Siberia from Kiev to Vladivostok with the Czecho-Slav army, fighting the Bolshevik! and German every inch of the way, and witnessed much suffering in his own land. He was brought to this country by Professor Neal, to whom he was intrusted at Peking by Mme. Breshkovsky, the "little grandmother of tho Russian revolution." Jan will eventually return to help elleviate tho sufferings of his people.