Evening star., 1915-11-21
By RICHARD HARDING DAVIS.

PARIS. November 1.-While still 500
miles from the French coast the
passengers on the Chicago of the
French line entered what was sup
posed to be the war zone. In those
same waters. just as though the repu-
tation of the Bay of Biscay was not
already sufficiently scandalous, two
ships Of the same line had been tor
pedoed. so, in preparation for what
the captain tactfully called an "acci-
dent" We rehearsed abandoning the
ship.
II was like the fire drills in our pub
lie schools. 1t seemed a most sensible
precaution and one that in times of
peace, well as of war. might with
advantage be enforced on all passenger
ships. The captain of the Lusitania was
asked to hold such a drill and refused.
In his case, as it happened, it would
not have helped the passengers, because
the ship listed so badly that on one
side the boats were held under water
and on the other were stranded high
and dry in the air as though they were
on the roof of a skyscraper. But had
the Lusitania not listed a rehearsal of
taking to the boats would have hurt no
one and might have saved many lives.
Tickets to the Lifeboats.
In his proclamation Commandant
Mace of the Chicago borrowed an idea
from the New York fire department. 1t
was the warning Commissioner Adam
son prints on theater programs and
by which he casts a gloom on patrons
OF the drama by instructing them to
look about them for the nearest fire
IN ~ Ah& 1t
cago was assigned to a lifeboat. He
was advised to find out how from any
part of the ship at which he might
be caught he could soonest reach it.
on the boat deck by the boat to which
they were assigned. After they had
been lowered to the water the men, who
ms meanwhile were to be segregated on
by rope ladders. Entrance to a boat
was by ticket only, The tickets were
SIX inches square and bore a number.
II you lost your ticket you lost your
nfe.' Each of the more imaginative
passengers insured his life by fasten-
ing the ticket to his clothes with a
safety pin.
Two days from land there was full
dress rehearsal, and for the first time
we met those with whom we were ex-
pected to put to sea in an open boat.
Apparently those IN each boat were Sc
1ected by .lot. AS one young doctor in
ciety in my boat is not at all con-
genial The only other persons origi-
nally in my boat were Red Cross
nurses of the Post unit and infants. In
trampling upon them to safety I fore
saw no difficulty. But at the dress re-
hearsal the purser added six dark and
dangerous-looking Spaniards 1t de-.
veloped later that by professional they
not afraid Of a bull is entitled to re-
spect. But being cast adrift with six
did not appeal, One could not help
wondering what would happen If we
ran out of provisions and the bull
fighters grew hungry. I tore up my
ticket and planned to swim.
Saw Too Many Periscopes.
Some of the passengers took the re-
hearsal TO heart. and. fully dressed, re-
n1ained all night on deck. AS the prom
enade deck is directly over the cabins,
not only they did not sleep. but neither
did any one else. The next day they
began to see periscopes For this they
were not greatly to be blamed. The
sea approach to Bordeaux is tagged
with black buoys supporting iron
nasts that support the lights. and in
the rain and fog they look very much
like periscopes. But after the passen-
gers had been thrilled by the sight of
twenty Of them they became 80 bored
with false alarms that had a real sub
marine appeared they would have in
yited the captain on board and given
him a drink.
While we still were anxiously keep
Ing watch sail appeared upon the
horizon. Even the strongest glasses
could make nothing of 1t. A young.
very young Frenchman ran to the
bridge and called to the officers. Cen
tlemen, will you please tell me what
boat IL is that ! seer
Had he asked the same question of
an American captain while that officer
was on the bridge the captain would
have turned his back. An English cap
tain would have put him in irons. But