The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-25
Boys Had Their First Taste Of Texas
Hurricanes, and L Happened
While They Were on
Guard Duty. Too.
], NO SERIOUS RESULTS
Bunch 10 still Able 20 Take Nourish-
- 4sGr1sk- Is
ment, Even II Mess Tent
Did Got Out Of
Whack.
Brownsville, Aug. 20, 1916.


Dear Sir:-About 1870 Thursday
morning, Captain LeBron informed us
that we could expect severe storm
sometime during the night He also
instructed US to make our tents as
secure as possible.
OF all the nights In the year 1t was
our turn to do guard duty that night.
Each company does guard duty alter
nately twenty-four hours. We went
on watch at 700 p. M. with Lieu
tenant Chase officer Of the guard and
Sergeant Barber. sergeant of the
guard. and Whitley Mayer, Howard
Evans and Miles Arnold, corporals of
the guard.
The night was fne up till midnight
when suddenly the clouds seemed to
break and the water poured down in
torrents. The wind howled through
the trees. The rain ana wind con-
tinued the balance OF the night and
all the next day, only increasing in
its fury in the afternoon Tents,
bath houses, kitchens AMI mess halls
in the course of construction were
levelled to the ground. The elements
made no distinction as generals,
majors, captains and privates were
all treated the same. everyone getting
a thorough drenching.
Fortunately for US, we all had floors
placed in our tents about ten days
ago. The floors are made OF one inch
boards placed on 2x4s, making five
inches between us and the earth.
Evening came at last and with
everyone trying to keep his own tent
from blowing down. When tent
would go down four men out of each
squad on either side would help put
it back up and 1t was difficult Job
for sixteen men to get 1t up again,
with the rain coming down in sheets
and the wind blowing fiercely. Ordi-
narily three men can put up a tent
with ease.
| Our floors are sixteen feet square
and our wlgwams are round, SO the
rain hitting on the four corners of
the floor would run into the center.
Inside the tents it was similar to
four persons being under a stingy
little umbrella. No canvas could hold
its own with such a continuous rain
and as the WIND would flap 1t to and
fro. the water would be sprayed on
US. Everything on the inside of the
tents was very nearly as wet as il
Cd the outside.
1t was useless to try to change
clothes. Those who were fortunate
enough to have beds made out of
limbs OF trees were very little better
OF than the others.
We are to get square tents to TT
our floors; we are to get 4 cot apiece
and we also are to get a pay day
some day. At any rate the square
tents and the cots would have made
our rooming house more comfortable
the other night IL we had them. We
can never have anything out OF the
ordinary without having a parade.
Another Parade.
So some mutt" suggested 1t and
in few minutes there were about
500 men marching down the regi-
mental street and every man as wet
as he could be. Some were shout
ing. some more singing and the rain
coming down to beat What did Cen
eral Sherman say about war;" After
the parade the soldiers went to their
tepees and stood or sat the best they
could. No supper as our cook shack
is about one foot lower than our
street and it was flooded. Could not
start fire with barrel of gaosline.
About s o'clock Lieutenant Chase
and Sergeant Moody came down our
street with can Of tomatoes and
loaf Of bread for each squad Did
you ever eat raw canned tomato
sandwich? II not, try It; finest thing
In the world when you can't get any
thing else.
1t was quite sight to see some
Of the boys struggling to hold their
tents down. The rain softened the
earth and the pegs pulled out easily.
II 1t was not for the floors, every
tent in the storm zone would have
fallen.
Holding Down Tents.
Big Whitley Mayer, Clyde Semones,
Ray Boswell, Swede Carlson and
Johnnie LaPorte were trying to hold
down one side Of a guard house tent.
They succeeded for a while, but
finally the wind bested them and the
tent came down on top Of them They
crawied out just in time to see an
other guard house tent fall on Arthur
Jones who was guarding the only
prisoner we had. They ran to his
assistance, helping Jones and his
prisoner to extricate themselves.
| Speedy" Grogan, "Burro" Grifln
and "Pedro'' Morrissey were holding
down one side of tent when one Of
them said. wish this wig~am would
go up in the air and land us close to
the Iowa lire. While enjoying the
bouquet Johnnie Wharton had the
nerve to ask, How would you like
to have your feet under Mas table
now?" and Wouldn't 1t be nice for
Us to be all in Syngers cafe" Good
thing for Johnnie that he Is a home
town boy or he would be shot at sun
rise.
If no serious Illness results from
being wet for twenty-four hours we
can all count ourselves very for