Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-12-18
THRILLING EXPERIENCES
Ray Reiser, Who is on the q. S. S.
Kanawha, Visited Wausau and Told
OF His Recent Interesting Trip to
France.

Paw Reiser. son of Mr.. and Mrs. Jo-
semi Reiser of Milwaukee, formerly
of Wausau. arrived in this city Sat
urday for a brief visit at the home
of his grandparents, Mr.. ana Mrs.
George Werheim, ST..
Mr.. Reiser is second class yeo-
man on the u. S. S. "KanaWha,
fuel ship or shipwriter, and has re-
Gently returned from his first trip to
France. He is now on ten day fur-
Tough.
Mr.. Reiser departed again last even
ing for Milwaukee, and will leave that
CITY Thursday for his military post
in the east. at which place he must
report on Saturday.
In relating his experiences on his
first trip across the sea, the Pilot is
unable to begin to describe the same
the Way Mr.. Reiser did during his
short stay here. 1t was told by MIN
much along the same line as the let
ter written by him and published in
this paper on November II.
Mr.. Reiser has been in the service
for about nine months and enjoys the
navy life very much. He speaks very
highly of the officers and the splen-
did training that the enlisted fellows
get in this department or the Y. ..
military service. He SAID, "oroers
must be obeyed, and at once, II not,
they make you do it and make you like
it," He also told of the regular IN
spection on the boats, and OF the ne
cessary cleanliness at all times.
On theDU. S. S. Kanawha there are
more than $50 men and also more
than forty officers. On their Journey
over. they were accompanied by sew
eral transports, the Antilles, Fin
land" Henderson" 'Leniopee," two
torpedo boats and the armored cruis-
or "San Diego" The transports all
had troops on board going to Some
where in France" These ships ran
into heavy storm on their trip and
the sea was very rough for several
DAVIS. Mr.. Reiser told Of the various
troubles they encountered, such as
putting the wireless apparatus out OF
commission; washing out two OF the
| port holes in the radio room; preaK-
| ing of oil pumps, etc. After the storm
ceased and everything was re-adJust-
ed, the Kanawha went on her way
again and finally landed in France.
| The return trip was also successful
| lv made and the boat is now in dry
dock undergoing repairs and being
! fixed ND in good shape for another
trim across, which they expect to take
in january. During the trip Mr..
Reiser became acquainted with the
disease "sea-sickness," and says it
is not so much of a joke. Mr.. Reiser
stated that the transports carrying
Boats on the high sea are kept dark
American troops are heavily guarded.
during the nights, the only light be-
| ing the "battle lights" on lower deck.
Mr.. Reiser further said,' Because
of the darkness on boats in the even
ings. there is nothing to do but go to
lbed. Or sit up and tell stories and get
| into arguments over different sub
| iects. You can neither read nor write
during the evenings"
He told some interesting things
about submarines and has seen many
| of them. Being on deck one day
! when one was visible, he was able
to get faint picture of the animal.
The attacks by submarines are
made usually early in the day and
evening, but not during night because
of darkness. The depth charge is
feared very much by the operators OF
the submarines and many have been
destroyed by this high explosive,
which the Americans use skillfully.
Mr.. Reiser mentioned the new de-
stroyers being built by the U. s., and
at the terrific speed they travel.
He told of the splendid doctors,
nurses and hospitals for navy men,
and that all the fellows are given good
care
The life and his first trip over, as
told by Mr. Reiser, was intensely in
teresting, and it is impossible for us
to even begin to attempt to tell what
he related.
His many Wausau friends wish him
all kinds of good luck on his second
trip, which he is soon to make, at
which time he expects to visit Paris
and also to get to see little Of the
actual warfare over Cnere.
Miss Elsie Reiser, who is teaching
in the Merrill High school, spent Sat
urday and Sunday here, visiting with
her brother.