Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-10-14
FOREIGN TOURIST TRIALS
vIRooUA LADY REVIEWS HER
EXPERIENCE
Fannie Silbaugh and Companion
Stranded In the Midst of the
Worlds Greatest Strife

EDITOR CENSOR: It may interest
some of the many readers Of the CEN
SoR to learn some of the personal OBJ
servations | made at the beginning of
the war in Europe. My friend, Miss
Hanson, and |, were in Lausanne, Swift
erland, July Is, when Austria Hungary
declared war on Servia We went to
the British Consul, there being no Amer
lean Consul in Lausanne. He assured
| US that all would be settled very soon
and advised US TO go on with our pleas
ure trip through Italy, Germany and
Holland as we had planned to do, hav-
ing sent my trunk from Paris the 18th
by the American Express company to
Berlin, Germany, expecting to be there
three weeks later. On arriving at In
terlaken we learned all Switzerland was
mobilizing and soldiers were ready to
leave to defend the border should invad-
ing armies try to pass We stayed in
this quiet little village several DAYS.
In the meantime Russia, Austria, Ser
via, France, Germany, Great Britain,
Belgium and Montenegro were all at
war and we had to rely for news on the
kilograms of the German-Swiss papers
and the meagre reports of the French
Swiss papers. We telephoned the Amer
lean consul in Berne asking advice as
to our movements, and he advised us to
stay in Switzerland. The Americans
in Interlaken called meeting the 9th
of August to consider ways and means
of returning to the United States.
About 500 were present and commit
tee of twenty one appointed to act in
behalf of Americans, but we left for
Lucerne the 10th of August There
were about 20, 600 Americans in Europe
when the war began and many came TO
Switzerland to await safe passage home.
We registered with the Red Cross COM
mittee for field or hospital duty; then
for nearly three weeks we took lovely
boat and mountain trips on Lake Gene
va, Timersee and among the Alps
When Mr.. Chas. Spach. Commissioner
of the United States treasury, who
came to supervise the arrangement for
special train service for the thousands
of stranded Americana. advised Us to
go to Geneva and then, as soon as pos
sible go to Paris and thence home by
way of Havre. We STAYED in Geneva
from the oath Of August to the 29th.
then concluded that the special trains
for Americans would not be so crowd
ed and left for Paris the 10Th. Had an
Is hour ride with only one change of
trains, winch was at Lyon. We all
wore American flags and trains were
guarded by French and Swiss soldiers
all the way. On our arrival in Paris
went to Grand Hotel. where we were
told we must have q Kermit from
the Commissaire of police TO stay in
Paris and also permit t3depart. The
permit to depart is issued only to per-
sons Solding passports or other official
evidence OF S:tsye.srip.
The streets OF Paris were very quiet,
very few street cars were running and
those that were had women conductors
on them. French, British, Belgian and
American flags were flying everywhere;
all places of amusement were closed,
all cafes closed at p. m. and restau-
rants at $50 We visited our Ameri-
can ambassador, Mr.. Herrick, who gave
US card giving us permission to get
passage on the French steamship La
Tauraine. We booked our passage the
3lst of August then went to the COM
missaire of police, where we obtained
permission to cable home
We saw a German aeroplane floating
over the city and we learned later that
they dropped FIVE bombs in Paris that
day. September first we went to Cafe
Boullant for dinner at 6 p. m. We saw
a German aeroplane just one block
from cafe at Place de L'Opera. Peo-
pie ran in every direction; women and
children were screaming and crying.
English officers fired at the aeroplane
but did no damage; a French aeroplane
pursued and captured it, We learned
later that they dropped several bombs
that day but only one person was re-
ported killed by them.
We left Paris Wednesday at 1890 for
Havre, trains passing US going south
carried many wounded soldiers and we
saw many refugees fleeing from their
homes in Rouen and northern France
with their little children and only a
small basket filed with food and cloth
L ing. They waited at the small stations
along the way for the Especial Ameri-
can train" to pick them up and carry
them farther south on her return from
Havre. We arrived in Havre at $3.50
Wednesday night; went on board the
Touraine and slept in our cabin Wednes-
day and Thursday nights, taking our
meals in Havre, as the boat was not
ready to accommodate passengers with
meals. As soon as we set sail Is a. nj,
September 4th) the American flag was
taken down and we came home under
the French colors. Our first night out
on the English channel at 1890 three
cannon shots rang cut over the water
and our boat Immediately began to slow
down and huge cruiser with no lights
except a powerful search-light visible,
came at lightning speed towards our
boat which stopped and the cruiser
went all around her playing her search
light from stem to stern. Then sud-
denly a cheer went up from the English
soldiers of Hipl Hipl Hurrahl and the
French sailors on our boat sent back
hearty cheer.
The remainder of our trip was une-
ventful in way except for the first
few days out at sea, when every new
boat that was cited created considera-
Bile excitement until we learned what
flag she was sailing under. September
9th we saw a large iceberg off TIE coast
Of Newfoundland. We reached New
York harbor September 18th after nine
days Of comparatively smooth sailing.
FANNIE SILBAUGH,