The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-11-08
GLAD TO GET BACK
LATE NEWS OF COMPANY n LADS
AT NEW YORK CITY.


Casual Camp. Governors Island
Nov. Sit may be interesting t
many of Co. HIS Oskaloosa friends
Ito know something Of our trip sine,
Tvs left Camp Mills.
Several days previous to Oct. 1;
we felt it in the air" that we soor
were to leave and when the order
came on that date for us to roll ouI
packs, il was no surprise.
We left camp at 11:45 a. m, via the
Long Island Railroad for Brooklyn
Arriving there we were ferryed
across to Hoboken, N. j., where we
boarded the ship that was, as we
| thought, to take us "Over there"
Our ship was an interned German
boat that had been converted into a
transport. 1t is $50 #. long and OF
$4,000 tons weight
About o'clock Friday morning we
cleared the harbor and when we fell
lows awoke no land was in sight. All
we could see was water everywhere.
For many of us it was the first sight
of the mighty Atlantic and it was GER
tainly sight not to be forgotten. We
followed the gulf stream across the
Atlantic till Monday night at o'clock
when our ship turned around and
steamed for old U. S. A. There was
much speculation as to the cause, A
few of the rumors that were circulat-
ed are "a sailor forgot his life pre-
server and we were going back for
it; 90 German aeroplane dropped
an acid bomb in the smoke stack the
acid loosened the steams of the boil
ers; CD. German spies posing as "Y."
workers tempered with the boilers.
The reason given us was that the
boilers had sprung leaks and it was
dangerous to enter the war zone with
crippled engines.
The first day out we encountered "a
rough sea; the result was that many,
of us were sea sick. This, coupled
with the crowded conditions OF the
ship, made our first adventure on the
sea far from enjoyable. We We're fed
twice daily, mid-forenoon and mid
afternoon. The ships fare was not
given a hearty reception by our stom-
achs and the result was, we were al
ways hungry. .......
Friday night We were told that
some time in the night land would be
sighted. About midnight we saw
the lightships out in the outer har-
Dor. With the first grey streaks of
light we saw the low coast line of
the United States. By noon we
were we'll in the harbor and were be-
ing towed to our dock by tugs. We
locked about two-thirty at Hoboken,
n. j., and about Z o'clock We left
the ship. Part of the regiment
went to Camp Mills. The second bat
talon made up of Companies E, F,
G and H, were ferried to Governors
Island.
We are quartered in the part of the
island known as the Field We are
fairly comfortable as now there are
only eight men to a tent. We have
small stove in each tent.
A happier bunch of fellows there
never was than we when we felt the
touch of American soil, ate American
food and drank fresh water. We
also feel more secure, for while on
board we continually wore our life
preservers and abandon ship" drills
were frequent.
A gloom spread through the COM
pany when we learned of the death
of our comrade, Tommy Arkless.
Many of us did not know of his con-
dition. By his death we lost one of
the best liked and one of the finest
fellows of our company.
We were surprised by the sight of
three Oskaloosa faces among recent
visitors, they being those of Philip
Plaster's father. also Cato Reynolds
mother and sister, who are paying us
visit. We now are going through
our daily routine of military tactics
and are waiting for What neXt?"