The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-11-02

| OHAOdQeQ from tram a GOnn6A1lLs
Ohio. Stopped at Mt. Morris, Penn,
for supper. Every person in the
| town soon gathered to cheer us and
| give us fruit and tobacco.
July %. Ate breakfast in yards Of
| the port. Every whistle in that part
of the city blew for ten minutes. I'm
loaded from train at Ferry Station
| at l0:30 a. m. and at 1880 a. m. we
were loaded upon the boat and left
| the dock at $3.50 p. m. Eleven hun
dred troops were on board. Capacity
of ship 1880 tons. British ship.
July "a. Ships crew being very
short handed, soldiers had to wait
upon tables and in kitchen. Ny turn
came at breakfast the first morn
| ing. The willing ones always get the
| Jobs around this army. l washed L.
| 200 ten-inch plates myself. Two
plates for each man. Three sittings
of 200 men. That was enough for
/ me. Was in dense fog during whole
day. Lifeboat drill in afternoon. Each
man is assigned to a boat or raft.
Raft No. Is was for me and twenty
four others.
July rs. Physical drill at 10 a. m.
This must be given as near as pos
sible to be, being the date of the
organizing of the Stove Pipe COM
mittee from which all stories of fu-
ture movements and actions Of the
regiment originate. Some of 90 fell
low that knows told me" stuff that
went around this day (some of the
stun hereafter called "stove-p pipe"
might be true. 1 haven't found ou),
we are bound for Liverpool un-
escorted. We are going to the
trenches. etc. At 4 p. m. we sight
ed land and at o'clock we anchor
ed in a large natural harbor where
we remained for seven days. Some
Of the interesting things that hap
pened during this time. One night
the powder box on the gun deck
caught fire, causing all to be ordered
on deck with life belts, on account
Of danger Of explosion, but after an
hour all was over. A fleet of British
submarines entertained us one day,
going through maneuvers. One at a
time, four more large ships loaded
with U. S. troops, anchored beside
us. It made us feel good to see our
brothers with the Stars and Stripes.
Every day we have physical drill.
band concerts and evenings boxing
matches. A company of aviators, in
cluding Lieutenant Quentin Roose-
velt,- are also on our boat We are
given a dress-up suit Of clothes,
shoes, shirts. ETC.. and overcoats. It's
a cold country. had opportunity one
day to explore the entire lower part
of the ship and was lost once. Ship
is heavily loaded with wheat and
ammunition (shells). Saw the big
gest cook-stove. which was about
twenty five feet long and eight feet
wide. The boat is equipped for car
rying 1900 passengers. Everyone has
a bunk above water.
August l. $3.50 .. m. The five boats
bearing soldiers took up anchor and
went to sea. Stove Pipe" says there
is a German sub base near these
parts. Red Apted says he wishes the
dog was here and he was home in
Sioux City behind the stove. The
blowing of the siren is signal for
everyone to get to life-boats as per
instructions. That night at 9:35 l
was in another room when that
whistle blew. Talk about scattering.
Ny roommate was in bed. We soon
got our canteens and life belts on
and took our places at the designated
raft. 1t was foggy and the water
looked too cold to get into and thank
God we didn't have to because it was
q false alarm. In the dense fog Jour
boat nearly hit another passing the
other way.
August 2. Discipline on ship is
very rigid now. We have twenty=t
four men on submarine guard COM
tinually watching for subs. Two
hours on and four hours off. While
on duty they can neither speak nor
be spoken to but must keep eyes on
horizon. The ships go in single file
about a half mile apart. We are
third. One ship has three guns; the
others have one each.
August 3. Clear day and calm sea.
The fleet maneuvers in different for
nations during day. The "Stove
Pipes says-eight days to Liverpool.
So we are counting.
r August 4. Clear day with excep-
ton of two hours in forenoon when
we passed through a fog. Overcoats
feel good.
August 5. Last night was very
foggy, the boats having trouble to-
gether. Today being Sunday, went
to church held upon upper deck, con-
Quoted by a chaplain who belongs in
some other regiment. In the evening
the wind blows, the water gets ex-
cited, splashing on the upper deck.
"StOpe Pipe" committee says we Will
have an escort tomorrow.
August 6, (Q remember it wellO
Oh, how the boat rolled. Ate my
breakfast and went upon deck. Got
wet. thrown around, and in an hour
l lost all. (This is. how l described
it, Am writing this in bed on the
night of the seventh. The waves
are monsters. Almost impossible to
remain upon deck. Oh, so sick. Laid
on a bench in upper cabin all day.
Went down to my stateroom at even
ing and in getting there, it made me
so sick. / didn't care whether the
subs got me or not. The room was
on side and then upon end.
August Z. Sea crazy yet. Weather
about zero, / guess. Am still sick
but not alone. Everyone is the same.
Lay on deck all day. Ate an apple
and a cracker in evening and felt
better.
August s. We are. supposedly COM
ing into the submarine Zone. A clear
day and sea is getting more calm,
my stomach with it. There is never
a light nor any smoking after sun
set. Portfolios are closed night and
day which makes the air very bad
below, so / am sleeping on deck
from now on with clothes on and
life belt as pillows
August g. "Stope Pipe" still look
ing for escort and pay day. Clear,
cold weather. Passed two freighters
going west today. The biggest event
of the day took place just at dark
when six torpedo boat destroyers,
(British) showed up to escort us.
Everyone feels much more relieved
with the little boats around us. They
certainly can perform feats in the
water.
August 10. Passed fleet of six bat
tleships today, on horizon. Clear day,
rain at night. Orders for every per-
son to have life belts on at all
times. Nobody knows where we are
but the ''Stove Pipe" committee has
all kinds Of stories. In the army you
are on your way but you never know