Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-29
STRONG men and
GRIM FACES AND
WOMEN IN TEARS
AS They Say Good Bye at New
York-Reservists of Three
Countries Sail in Answer to
The Call to the Colors

New York, Aug. 2s.-Something of
the pity of wars partings of families
was brought home to New York today
with the sailing of the French Line
steamship France for Havre, with two
hundred French and Swiss reservists
and q handful of French army officers
en- their way to the front from South
America. The pier echoed with the
wild abandon of Latin enthusiasm and
grief. Women chung to the necks of
husbands and brothers leaving for the
homeland to fight against the Ger
mans; little children stood clinging at
their knees, staring dazedly about,
while father and mother alternately
caught them up, pressing them to
their breasts. Elsewhere young men,
unmarried, with SILK French, Belgian
and Swiss flags, rushed about the pier.
cheering for the Allied armies.
Near the gangway a handsome young
French reserve officer was supporting
his wife In his arms.
II don't ask you to stay" she cried,
in English, butch. oh, Jean, come
back to mel"
He kissed her with set face saying
nothing, and, when the insistent bugles
summoned all passengers ashore,
he released her arms gently, and then,
turning from her, plunged into the
crowd on the gang-plank and was lost.
The woman stood where she had been.
presently the man appeared on the
flrst-eabin deck. She moved to the
| pier rail, and so the two stood, until
the steamship took him away.
Sang the Marseillaise.
The time for sailing came and pass
ed. and still the vessel remained fast
TO her pier. She was waiting, IL was
reported. for several hundred steeraga
passengers. Italians, from the Italian
liner Stampalia, whose accommoda-
| lions had been overlooked to the num-
Der OF two hundred. These the French
Line agreed to take on the Franco
and for these she waited until twenty
minutes after the hour set for sailing
whiie women crowded against the rail-
ing at the end of the pier, holding up
paoles ana children. in whose hands
they had placed the silken flags.
AND while every one waited the pas
sengers crowded the aftrdecks. A
young man with fine tenor voice ard
bearing Swiss flag, stood upon the
ran and sang the first verse of the
Marselliaise. A roar of cheers greeted
the singer and cries of "Encore," On
the steamship Minnewaska. living on
posite the France, sailors gathered
astern and displayed the flags of the
three allied nations. Great Britain.
france, and Belgium, while a bugler
standing on the after bridge blew
TIE charge A. great shout went nm
and then with an immense swing and
rhythm those on pier and steamsbin
broke into the Marseillaise.
Then with roaring whistles. the Cun-
ard liner Campania backed out of Tho
dock below and headed downstream
Inc ensign on her jack-staff f1uttered
oown, then up. and the France renIiad
IN Kind. Cheers and detached sentence.
ana the notes of bugles went rattltne
TO and fro across the waters. Dow
peiow We're the Storage passengers
French reservists, and Swiss who
had been summoned home to their ma
i've land, and Italians. All but the
nalahs-who were going home because
OF lack OF work IN Canada, thew said
mad grim business before them In
| every group OF those who stood i'm the
gloomy under portion CT the pier. eaz-
ing up at the faces peering down at
.heih' were women, weeping and wall
,ng' ana when with gruff whistle
blasts the liner slid out into the strean,
their cries followed her.
Among the officers on tho veesa,
were Capt. Antoine Massenat = 70
servist Of the last line of defence He
is banker with Offices in Wall street
ana IS vice president of the Frencl,
benevolent Society. He left n 1,,;fa
and two children at the pier w.,
there was Capt. Jan Contrestv ~ ~
one Hundred and Twentv-secrna
french Infantry. He bore in h;s
hand an officers sword done I'm =.
yellow wrapping paper. With him 10.
Capt' Louis Escal, of the sama root
ment. iesi-i
we have both been in G,atera,o y,
ne said, "ands have been makina o.
way TO France as best we could ri, oui
I've peen tedious delays. We hoped 70
~ On various liners. but they did NOT
sat- n,u NOW we are at last on our woy
france viii fight until all her hlnod
mas been drained" oou
Frances officers seemed RI h.
doubt OF the vessels maxine ~. 10
ana quick trip across the ocean r.
lands control Of the sea NO, a,,ss
upon TO insure this. The vessa,s 90.
rled forty first cabin, sixty second cob
In ana about seven hundred third
cabin passengers.
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