Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-10-19

Mrs. John NJ. Schafer, 1877 South
Ward street, is in receipt OF very IN
teresting letter from her son, Lieuten.
ant Walter Schafer, who is one OF lou
officers chosen from the first training
camps who were sent to France 10
learn the latest methods of warfare
and will return in about six months to
instruct in American training camps
The letter was written on the boat en-
route to France ION the high seas
somewhere" and is in diary form.
Thousands Aboard Ship.
Saturday, September 8.
Dear Mother:
1--WE are on an old German passen-
ger boat; everywhere we see German
signs. Walter Roth, with whom l
stayed in New York is on sister boat,
I think the boat to our left about 800
yards Part of regiment of regulars
is on with us.
There are somewhere between thir-
ty and one hundred officers on this de-
tail on this boat. We are in very nice
staterooms and the meals are fine.
The enlisted men are crowded in be-
low. There are thousands cannot
say how many-on this boat.
TT is supposed to be a first-class
boat and is classed among the big
boats, but when first saw it was In
clined to class it as another fellow
did, that is, as an overgrown canoe.
(The term is especially applicable in
as much as some of the boats have In
dian names.)
1.-THE ocean is very rough and there
are many sick, but, strange to say,
am not among them. There are lot
of rookie sailors sick. The little col
ored boy who cleans our staterooms
said he was sick and when asked him
how he felt, he said, I don't know
how ah feel now, sab. but at noon an
couldn't see.'
See Destroyer Fleet
Monday, Sept. 10. 1917.
Sunday we spotted twelve boats on
the horizon, which kept ahead OF us.
Some say it was merchant fleet from
Boston, but the officers say they are
q. S. N. torpedo destroyers winch rec
onnoiter to our right and left during
the day and precede us at night.
"A battleship (cruiser) is steaming
along our port side now. She carries
two hydroplanes and balloon on her
decks. Our ship seems to be the CEN
ter Of this part of the convoy OF which
we do not know the length. The ships
officers talk of accommodating places,
etc, but do not follow them.
The Princess Irene (now the Poca-
hontas). the boat that tried to get on,
fell behind Saturday because of engine
trouble but she caught up again about
an hour ago. Even the captain believ-
ed that she had returned.
Yesterday each officer was assign
ed to life boat or life raft. have
one of the biggest boats and twenty
five men, ten of whom are seamen. To
day we had boat drill. Five hundred
miles out We are to be Joined by an
American fleet of destroyers, an Eng
lish fleet, French fleet and some
God help the little sub
that monkeys with us.
ever since We left New York har-
Dor the gunners on every boat have
stood at their guns night and day. 1--WE
have about eight guns). Also, every
part Of the sea is watched from each
boat constantly.
"Our large cargo includes fifty Peace
cars: that is, Fords. We are heavily
loaded. Yesterday our cruiser had an
balloon up all day.
in another week we shall be near
La Relic Francois, surrounded by war
boats. We expect the trip to take
about fifteen days. We do not know
where we are. The only thing we do
know is that we are going east, and
The only definite information We have
our position is that we were
once off the coast of Virginia"
Thought They Were Torpedoes.
Thursday, September 10.
Yesterday during French class
(Which is held every morning) aban-
don ship was sounded and instantly all
was confusion. was on the sun deck.
and when | reached the main deck
where my stateroom is located / STOP
ped to look over the sea and saw
sight that froze me stiff. About two
thousand yards away, headed straight
Tor the ship was a streak which disap-
peared and reappeared. There was not
4 doubt in my mind but that it was a
torpedo did not know whether to
90 down to get my life preserver or to
20 straight to my boat, but decided to
do neither and watch her strike. She
seemed to be coming with maddening
accuracy. although without great
zeal of speed All at once I saw an
other and yet another going in differ.
ent directions, headed evidently for
other boats The thought occurred to
me to look around and see how others
were taking it. Next to me two men
whose boats hung near by were point