Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-31

U. S. A. disgraced, you know, even
II we hight under the tricolor.
Gets News on Board
Bulletin boards are placed on each
end of the ship, and every day the
news of the world is posted there
on. The first day out we heard that
famous German aviator had been
killed. And then we read OF a street
car jumping the track while passing
through the Niagara Gorge. Thesac-
cident reminded me that Dad" had
predicted just such q tragedy as this
several years ago when he was fool
ish enough to take the trip-and
then he calls me foolish for TAX
ing such awful chances with a canoe.
People in glass houses, let me re-
mind you, Dad. should not throw
stones. No, I'm not throwing stones.
I'm taking some chances myself, or
at least hope to, but this is war
you know. It's raining now and the
sea is growing rougher.
July 7th - The man with the
goatee had it forcibly removed last
night, and now he sticks to his
steamer chair like a peacock with its
tall cut off sticks to the woods.
Expecting U-Boats
Only 1000 miles from land now,
expecting submarines and a French
convoy of torpedoboats this after
noon. The sea is as smooth as a
lake, but L am becoming very weary
of eating. Rules are becoming very
strict regarding lights now that we
are in the submarine zone.
There is a slick thief aboard,
something being missed every night.
Woman from Greece lost all the
money she had and collection was
taken up to replace it. $3.50 was the
h "a nj FOR fha hole
I'm using 1t regularly.
WALTER.
p. S., July 7th-Great excitement
on board. Steamship appeared on
horizon laying her course parallel
with ours. Suddenly she began zig
tagging in a most cratic fashion,
finally turning directly around and
going around our stern and disap-
pearlng. Just now a three -masted
schooner is plainly visible on our
starboard bow, directly ahead, the
white sails giving rise to the belief
that it was an iceberg. A lifeboat
is swinging out on each side of the
ship, preparatory to quick takeoff,
and has been this way since the first
day out.
WALTER.
Bathing Unknown
The second letter covers the final
day on shipboard and the eight days
intervening from then until he set
tied down to wait his final eXamina-
tions. 1t follows:
July 15, 1917.
Paris, France.
a state to write my address for l
know not how long I will be here.
I could give you DR.. Gros' address,
but again 1 am not sure whether
shall get to the school or not. One
of our bunch was turned down, You
know, so I'm not counting any of
my chickens before they are hatch
ed. Just now 1 am waiting for my
application papers to come back
from the French government. It's
wait of eight or ten days and then
comes the final exam.
Am writing this in the American
Y. M. c. A. Everything is fixed up
lovely here, the only convenience
missing is the shower baths. Bath
ing seems to be an unknown occupa-
ton in this country, once a week be-
ing considered sufficient. In fact
there is law that hot water may
not be used except on Saturday
However, I've had two cold baths in
four days which helped a lot.
The voyage across was uneventful
Saw no submarines but plenty oi
whales. The last two days all the
men were tolled off into watches oi
ten men each, the watch lasting al
hour. 1 stood watch twice and ac-
quired beautiful cold as the result
It's all over now, though. When we
entered the submarine zone all life
boats werc swung out on their davitS
and rope ladders lowered all along
the ship. Shells were stacked handy
to each of the two guns, fore and aft
Will. four gunners at each gun swept
the sea with their glasses. The las
| night out was fierce. A heavy raii
set in, making everything as blacl
as coal aboard ship. as no lights wert
allowed. Even the lighting of {
match was enough to cause the look.
outs to jump the offender. 1t is sale
| that the blackness of this last nigh
was the only thing that saved u
because the Chicago" anothe,
| French line boat, was sunk tina
| NIGHT THAT boWeVar xuae onlv .