Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-01

rios. Besides the seventeen. three
had died from broken necks. Tine rUur
remaining horses were still alive. but
hardly had square foot Of hide left.
They We're pitiful sight.
The next day the three negroes were
buried at sea without word Of
prayer.
For the next couple of days nothing
OF Importance happened.
About four days out of Bordeaux
one of the large steam pipes I'm tho
lower hold burst. In this hold thore
were sixtyfour horses. The engineer
Of the ship tried to repair the break.
but 1t was almost worth mans life
TO 20 down there in that Kissing and
scaldng steam. The cries OF the
horses went straight to my heart. All
VIC could do was to turn streams OF
cold water from three pairs of hose
into the hold. thus trying to keep the
heat down ana save as many horses
rs possible.
Firmly Steam Is Shut on.
Why the engineer did not shut Off
the steam ] don't know. l noted this
fact in my report. After about four
hours the steam was shut off and the
two foremen, Doc Casey and myself.
followed by twelve other men. went
into the hold. Will never forget the
sight as long live. Nearly every
one Of the horses was dead. and those
which still remained alive had TO no
shot. Some Of them were practically
boiled alive. The weather was hot,
and it was not long before the rottins
bodies OF IN. horses made the stencil
on board unbcarable. We had to get
these bodies out Long tackles were
RIG red up. Z chain around the neck OF
n dead horse, and l worked tho winch.
Tho bodies were snaked along the
passageways in the hold and up to the
hatcl.. Some Of the bodies would not
hold together. aud II was common
sight to see dead horse suspended
IN the air by his hind leg drop sud-
denly into the hold below. leaving his
leg hanging 90 the tackle.
Every horsa sert to France is brand
cd with II different brand. The" have
81 system OF indexinE them. As each
dead horse was snaked tn the upper
deck. Doc had to stoop over and make
n note of the brand before tie horse
was thrown overheard
AS the dead horses were dropped
over the side. a reSouudinC splash
could be heard, and The water was
churncd into foamy white as tho
body momentarly sank from view.
Then the hloated body OF the horse
would rcappear and disappear in the
wake of the ship. the soagulls how
cring and screaming around It.
The grub on tina; ship was awful,
and day out of BordeauX The gang
of hcrsemcn refused to work Tho
foreman mustered them on the main
deck. and standing OIL the bridge let
out about twenty minutes oil religion
and advice in their direction. The
whole gang immediately got religious
and returned to their duties.
was heartily ,icie and disguised
10 Ia.
stencil was awful ther. being about
twelve dead horses thai we could not
get out.
Just outside Of TIC entrance Of the
river leading IL BcrdeauX. a small
rakish boat. flying the rricolor Of
France. came alongside; We hove to
and up the Eangpiunk came threo
French officers. They were cosetcd
with the captain Of tile ship and our
foreman. and after about twenty min
utes left. and we continued on our
course.
First Sixhr of France.
Going up the rive" In some places
the banks were only about twenty
feet AVA. ne could see the French
women filling their fields AS we went
by, these workers stopped and waved
their hands in the air at US, and we
waved back. II WAS my first sight of
France. and ] Wal not in any way
disappointed. 1t lived up To- my ex-
pectations.
y little farther up the river we came
10 4 large dock where ships were load
ing ard unloading carGo"s. and a thrill
passed through :ne saw my first
batch Of German prisoners al work
lneSe were iEmclSn fellows, nearly
every one being siN feet or over They
We're guarded by liltia French soldiers
averaging about five feet five inches
wi,h long rifle, bayoact fixed. This
rifle, In comparison with the French
men, looked like telegraph pol,.
The soldiers had on the old hue ever
coats, the tails but.one.l back. pat
tern of ASH.
As we passed the German prisoners
they scowied at US, and we feeling
quite safe on deck. yelled back insults
NJ them. One big Irishman, right near
me- TOOK great Glec in jumping up and
down on the hatchway and running his
lnger across his throat This seemed
TO enrage the prisoners and they yelled
something IN German. The freshman
must have understood it. because ho
let out volley OF curses In return
The French scntrics seemed to enjoy
this harragc OF insults, and did not I'm
any way attempt to curtail the pris-
ohers remarks. This. at the time
struck me as depicting IL remarkable
sense OF fairness. and later on, during
my service on the Western front, l
round out that the Frenchman in all
his dealings Is fair and just.
Frctty soon the prisoners faded out
OF sight and we came alongsiGe the
dock at Bordeaux. I was all eager-
ness. and strained my eyes so as not to
miss the least thing. Tho dock was
full of French Cavalrymen. hurryinE
To and fro Huge Turcos. black rs the
CIT THIS orT1IT Is WORTH MONEY
,,d don't MISS THIS Gpt ont this slip. en-
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