The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-11
F. w. TRACY AND WIFE ARE
 SAFELY HOME
Assistant Clerk of Superior Court Describes Condi-
 tions Abroad

Assistant Clerk of the Superior Court Fred W. Tracy and Mrs. Tracy who have been enjoying 8. particularly interesting trip abroad, arrived in this city today. having made the journey across on the Kroonland, which dock ed in New York at 8 o'clock this mornfng.
 Coming, as they do from the center Of the European. war districts, their description of the affairs on the other side is especially interesting.
 All during their trip through Switz- erland and northern Italy, they had noted an. unusual activity among the people, and soldiers. but it was not until they reached Zurich. Switzer- land. on July 2s, that the excitement became general. In the evening large crowds gathered before their hotel singing patriotic songs and malk- ing many enthusiastic demonstra- tions.
 On reaching Paris, they noted that the general excitement had increased greatly The air seemed charged with it. Great crowds gathered at the street corners eager to learn the la test reports in the "extras'' which were being dashed off every few min utes by the Paris Newspapers and in war bulletins which were pasted up in pu bile places. The cafes and the atres- where all Paris is usually to be found at night. were deserted for the streets.
 Chancfng to overhear some Ameri-. can girls in restaurant say that the Imperator had been withdrawn, the Tracys, who were cooked to sail on that vessel on August 1st, hastened to the nearest steamship agent where the news was confirmed.
 As it was imp that they get back to Bridgeport on their sched- uled time. they decided not to wait for the vessel but to try another. hne
 They found that the Kroonland of the Red Star line was to sail from Antwerp on the same day that they had planned to take the Imperator and that there were just two rooms left of which they had their choice.
 The sale of provisions was so regu- lated even at the time that they left the war zones, that no one could pur- chose more than five pounds of flour at a time
 Their train from Paris was the next to the last to cross the border. Those who took the last train lost their bag gage and many of them arrived in New York this morning with no other clothes but what they had on their backs
 There was some doubt about their vessel sailing, as the Belgian king had requested the captain not to do so because of taking the provisions away from the country. However, they did sail at about 9:15 in the eve ming and at Il o'clock that night the king issued orders that no other ves- sells sail because of the scarcity of provisions.
 War was declared the next day
 The ship stopped at Dover and here the doctor and twenty of the stewards had to go back because they were re- servists.
 Sailing out of Dover, they saw some 15 or 16 of the British warships sail ing about slowly. guarding the har- Dor.
 A brilliant young Austrian who had also to go back, told the Tracys that want to fight He also told them that they could be thankful that they were Americans.
 As the Kroonland is one of the Red Star liners which flies the American flag the trip across was uneventfuI as far as being pursued by hostile war ships goes, but it was very in- teresting as the war seemed to have drawn the Americans closer together for those who were unfortunate in losing baggage or being without money.
 All war news was suppressed until yesterday morning.
 One German couple who were aboard had lost oil fields in Russia worth two million and a half marks because of the war.
 While their trip was most interest ing, MT. and Mrs Tracy are very glad to be at home in Bridgeport just at present and are thankful to have come through the exciteynent so well without loss of money or baggage.