Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-10

10 o'clock in the morning to get this
train, Only a limited number could
composed of well-to-do American
tourists, many provided with first class
tickets. In the party there was a
crowd of American college boys, who
cheered up the spirits of the Ameri-
cans by singing % happy day, o happy
day, when we get back to u. S. A The
gates were opened about / o'clock and
terrific. The accommodations were
miserable. While several hundred
people had first class tickets, there
were accommodations but for forty
first class, and the great majority of
them had to ride third class, where
they were packed in like cattle. Many
had to stand because there were not
nearly sufficient seats for the people
who had crowded on'the train.
Stick to the Ship
I'VE passed the frontier into France
and since we spoke English and the
English and the French were allies
everything was done by the French to
pass us through their customs easily.
We had been assured that this was a
through train that would go directly
to Paris without any changes. When
we arrived at AmberieuX, which is just
few miles inside the French frontier,
we were told that we would have to
change cars, that this train was not
going to Paris, but to Lyons. Four
carloads of us protested. We said we
had been assured that it was a through
train and that we would stick to the
ship. The hundreds of others changed
cars and pulled out for Diion We
arrived in Lyons between and 10
o'clock and found waiting on an ad-
Joining platform a train made up
largely of first and second class car
riages. on which there was plenty of
room, that was going directly to Paris
and arrived in Paris the next morning
at 7.30. Those who obeyed orders and
| changed cars at Amberieux arrived in
Paris at 3.15 next afternoon. having
| had to make innumerable changes and
having had a most uncomforta bic
! journey
Paris a City of the Dead
Paris we found city of the dead
Of course, it was Sunday, and all the
| stores and shops were closed. A great
many hotels were closed. The city
was divided into wards. which were
under control of the police depart
| ment We were told we would have ia
get permit from the chief of police
of the district in which our hotel was
located to remain in Paris and also
| permission to leave Paris. We re-
| mained twenty-four hours During
| that time we visited the police station
the American consul the British con-
sui. the chief of the railroad service, in
order to arrange to leave the next
morning.
There were very few soldiers in
Paris. Americans who had been in
Paris during the entire time of the
mobilization of troops told me that
Paris had been absolutely quiee and
they never thought that they were in
the least danger and that the only dis.
turbance was when band of students
| broke some of the windows in German
shops; that Paris had always beer
under the control Of the police, and nc
one had suffered at all The restau.
rants closed at 9 o'clock at night. We
| mad to have police permit to &c
| from one ward of Paris to another
There were many stranded American.
there, but everybody felt perfectly
safe. We arranged to leave Paris mex
| morning for England by way ot
Amiens, Arras and Boulogne. / wa
assured by an Englishman who haC
just come from Boulogne that the wa,
was perfectly safe; that there were
100000 English troops on the water
that they had millions of FrencI
troops on the water; that the kaiser
was going to get the worst licking IN,
ever had I'm his life, and that the wa,
TO England would be always perfect,
safe. Five days after we went through
| this part or France it was I'm the DOS
session of the German troops. A
| Arras we saw hundreds of refugees
| from Belgium and Northern France
| men, women, carrying in small bundle,
all their worldly possessions.
| 1T was a terrible sight traiI
| loaded with English, French and Ger
man wounded, pulled into the station a!
we We're waiting, and we were tolC
thta German officer of high rank haC
died just as the train pulled into tn,
station. The people in the country
round about Arras evidently did no
/ expect the Germans to get through, be
cause the boys, girls and women were
in the fields gathering the wheat which
was cut, the men having had to go t.
We're drawn by oXen-all horses having
| been taken to the war-into theii
| barns.
Few Days Later, the Battle
"A few days later this country was
| a scene of the big battle by the French
left wing and the Germans right. W.
| reached Boulogne after about a seven.
| hour ride. We found ship waiting
there for us for England. We were re-
CURED to show tickets and passports
| before we could get aboard. We landed
In .Folkstone, England, an hour and
half later. The boat was crowded will
| English refugees. We found Londor
practically normal. excepting that In
| stores complaints were made that there
was no business, and that all taxi cabs
Ibore signs calling upon young men tC
enlist and that Kitchener wants 100.
| 600 men, and the sandwich men in the
streets carried signs of same import
| The English did not seem to realize the
gravity of the situation. The steam.
ship offices were crowded with Ameri.
| cans anxious to get home. They woulC
| stand in line for hours hoping thai
| something would be cancelled. There
was the greatest uncertainty as to thC
| sailing of the steamships. A steamer
would be put on, everything taken, and
without further notice we would sud.
denly learn that the sailing had beer