Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-05-23
ON THE BROAD OCEAN
SISTERS HOME WARD BOUND
TO EUROPE
Tell of War Horrors Have Run Up
the Stars and Stripes-W omen
Doing Work of Men

Doing Work OF Men
The Hoon sisters. who came from
England five years since and did pro-
fcssional nursing in EipoquA, Lacrosse
and other places, Nere summoned 10
their foreign home some weeks ago TO
assist ia caring for the sick and maim-
ed in the great foreign war. Miss
Florence Hoon wrote Mrs. J. +. Nu-
Zum concerning their voyage, from
which the CENSOR is privileged to
make extracts. The first section is
written on mid.oceau, dated April 9:
STEAMSHIP AUDAUSIA, April 9, 1917.
My DEAR FRIENDS: We have been
on the boat now since Thursday, but
only got out OF port on Friday at | / a
M. So far our trip has been very
pleasant sea comfortably smooth
Our passenger list is not large, but
includes some very interesting people.
There are nine men on the ship who
were terped0ed, four of them twice
Capt Chave picked up the tour Que
day and the next he and his men had
similar fate. Four were killed by
the explosion. The poor fellows were
in the open boats for five days. with
an allowance of one sea biscuit and
about one-fourth pint of water a day.
Needless to say they were very ex-
hausted, not only from lack OF food
but exposure 10 cold. All being badly
frost bitten, nine of them they left
behind in Halifax, United States.
Their experience was truly awful.
Most of the crew have lost brothers
or sons on the various ships that have
gone down. Our steward was on the
Lucltania and the stewardess lost a
son and brother on the same ship
Our captain was on the Carpathic
when they picked up passengers Off
the Titanic. He is a fine man, consid-
cred very able. His name is Rostron.
Then we have Capt. OXley, Cana
dian who is returning to service after
being badly wounded in France and
invalided home He has lost three
brothers in the Somme attack and an
other has lost his leg, He relates not
only thrilling but horrifying exper-
fences. The atrocities of the Ger
mans we read of in America are very
mild in comparison TO some he has
witnessed. So many boys with their
hands cut off, girls mutilated. Wo-
men whose breasts they have cut of
and nailed to a church wall, girls with
ears off In Roman Catholic churches
they have taken down the cross and
hung a British soldier in the place,
These are only a few Of the things.
| never can begin to tell YOU all.
Their latest device is to 90 over Eng
land and drop capsules loaded with
some germ that will bring along a
terrible plague among the people.
Let as pray this may never happen.
We have a Harvard unit with us, con-
sisting of four doctors and nine nurses.
They stay ia London long enough To
be equipped with their uniform aud
then Oh 10 France Altogether we
have eight doctors on board, including
two col lege men, no are tine intel
lectual fellows.
You remember Miss Cavell. the Brit.
ish nurse, vino was shot by the Ger
macs as a spy. We have her cousin
With us:aiso twoactrcsscs. Very pref
ty girls One has baby boy with her,
y years old, the only child among as.
\ esterday, Easter Sunday, we had spe-
cially nice service on the boat and in
the evening sang hymns for a long
time. There IS not the usual variety
Of food on board, but very good what
we get and plenty Of it In fact the
accommodation and service could not
be better. ! will continue this later.
Here | am At home. Oh. how thank
fnl we we're to get of the boat.
/ wouldn't like another II DAYS of it.
OF course we were quite happy through
the day, but the nights were very an
xiouS, On Monday at 4 A. III, we sigh
! ed land and from then on we were pa
troled all the time; 10 fact at one time
] . l..
US. That day we felt fairly safe. We
travelled at a good pace all the time
but zigzaged good deal. On Tues
day a. m. we got into port Immedi-
ately the boat was taken over by the
government. So many military men
came on board. After quite little
| formality we were allowed TO leave
the ship; | never appreciated land
so much. BY this time it was ii am.
| We wired home "a said on what train
we would arrive. Went to the George
Hotel and had lunch. We found no
potatoes. none allowed, but two days
| ago. So far we enjoy our meals very
much, and certainly have not found
scarcity only of certain things.
We left Liverpool at 2:l5 a. m. and
arrived at Derby at 5:25, TO End host
of friends at the station: some we
knew and some we didn't Our neices
and nephews have grown beyond our
recollection. Friday il rained all day
and today likewise, also very cold, un-
usual for England, quite little snow
in places.
Women you see all over taking the
place of men on the railroad stations,
street cars, postotiices, banks, and ev-
erywhere. There is a scarcity of men
of the fine physical type. Everyone
seems to have either sons, husbands
OF brothers fighting We are having
an American-day o. Friday Already
we are showing our stars and stripes.
Glad to say we found all at home well
and happy.