Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-14
AMERICANS BACK
FROM OTHER SIDE
Liner Philadelphia, with Over
Thousand Rushing Out of
Europe, Arrives.
ABOUT ALL WITHOUT BAGGAGE
Few Have Money-Everyone Has
story of TroubIes in Leaving
$40 War zpne-Germans Are
Abused In Paris

| AHeIlCan liner nlladeipnlh, WITH
the first great crowd OF Americans
Who rushed from Europe when the
various nations declared war, arrived
in New York tonight. There were
703 persons in the cabin and 500 in
the steerage. Virtually all of them
we're without baggage, many OF them
without money, and all had stories
OF hardships to tell.
The Philadelphia sailed from
southampton few hours after Eng
land declared war on Germany. The
first day out seven French torpedo
boats and three submarines were
sighted. One OF the torpedo boats
hurried after the American liner, the
rest Of the fleet following slowly.
Finally the torpedo boat, the BIT.
came alongside and ordered the
Philadelphia to stop.
Cheer French ships
The war vessel signaled the liner
several times, It's officers looking
closely at the faces of the passengers
crowded on the decks. The French
naval officers were sure the Philadel-
phia really was an American vessel
and that the passengers were Ameri-
cans, and one of them shouted in
English that the Philadelphia might
proceed. The passengers cheered the
French ships. The cheer was re-
turned and the tiny vessels steamed
away.
| The refugees in the steerage were given
the freedom of the ship. They were sepa.
! rated from the women, however, and in
some cases husbands were divided from
their wives by this regulation. Rather
than sleep in the steerage scores of these
passengers slept in the smoking ROOM on
the boat deck under the boats ana In
steamer chairs, -Four persons were in
| every cabin.
The passengers we're exceedingly glad
! 10 get back to the United states At
| quarantine they cheered the mail boat,
the health officers boat and the revenue
cutter. They shouted questions over the
side about the whereabouts of various
vessels on which their friends were sup
| posed to have sailed, but which were
redulsitioned by the various governments.
As the Philadelphia nesred its pier IN
! the North river the crowd waiting on
shore shouted a welcome to the refugees.
| Then for n quarter of an hour the whole
! river resounded with cheers.
The regulation preventing a ship which
| arrives at quarantine after shutdown from
proceeding from the dock until the next
morning was waived today. The Phila-
delphla did not reach quarantine until
| after 2 o'clock The port authorities did
| everything IN their power to have the ship
and its load OF passengers move quickly
and an hour and half after II arrived
In the lower bay the last of it's passen-
gcrs had gone ashore
Germans Beaten In Paris.
Hundreds OF passengers on board had
rushed from the interior Of France and
! Germany. Travellers from Parts told Of
mobs swsrming through the streets,
breaking windows and looting German
shops. Others told OF Germans caught
in the French capital being beaten by
! gendarmes and the excited cltizenry.
The streets near tho railway stations
were piled high with abandoned baggage.
| So great was the rush OF Americans from
France TO England that small steamers
in the English channel, constructed TO
accommodate from 800 to 800 persons,
carried 5000 men. women and children on
every trip Mrs B. Blackmore of Gin
einnati. one Of the passengers, was in
Gletach, Switzerland. July 81 She left
| for Paris on that date. She had a first
class ticket but was forced TO occupy a
| third-class compartment with a crowd of
soldiers and peasants, She sat on the
| floor OF the car during the entire trip.
Abandons Baggage.
] IN Paris she was informed by another
American that she had just time to catch
the last train for Calais. whore she could
get boat across the channel She aban-
doned her baggage in the street and
reached q railway station a few minutes
before the train left.
Five thousand American and English
men and women were trying to get on
the train. she said, Some OF them rode
! between the coaches rather than be left
| behind. There was no water on any OF
the trains. Upon arriving at Calais, Mrs,
Blackmore was faint from want OF food
and water. An American she had never
seen before obtained both for her.
HOWARD Which, OF ISL
on the train with Mrs Blackmore. He
told a similar story and added that the
train was stopped several times by sol
diers, who went through it searching
they said. for German spies N Paris
before he left he saw a gendarrne seize
a German who he said. was acting sus-
piciously and marched him toward a
police station. A crowd OF excited French
men followed in the wake Of the pair.
TeutOn Knocked Down.
A passing German protested and some
one In the crowd struck him in the face
and knocked him down. AZ the same
time the gendarme severely punched the
man he had arrested The German pro-
tested .aildly against this. but did not fight
back, Mr.. Nillett said. because OF the
menaeinE crowd. A loaf OF bread selling
for cents was bringing % cents on the
day he left Paris. other foodstuffs were
soaring propoTtionately.
II met Jack johnson ON the boulevard"
said MIR. Willett. Ills face was wreathed
in smiles. Crowds surrounded him ask
ing him to fight for France"
A committee formed aboard the Phils-
delphia, with the express purpose OF as
slsting Americans abroad, issued a state
ment through It's secretary, Thomas F.
Gilroy OF New York. II says;