Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-08-17

it would, and | couldn't
help feeling the debt America owes
the nation that placed it there and
to which we are going We were
soon oat Of sight of land and going
about fourteen knots an hour. AL
though the sea was not rough, |
never lifted my head off my pillow
except to strain my sides for two
days. By Sunday noon | began to
feel like myself again and enjoyed
my dinner, especially the English
plum pudding. Lucky for me l waf
feeling better, because | was on
guard for the next twenty-four
hours on the stern of "a" deck.
After dark no light of any kind is al
lowed on the boat, all doors and
port holes are kept closed and smok-
ing is prohibited. If anybody on
guard sights a Sub" he gets twenty
pounds. l didn't get it. We usual
ly turn in about eight o'clock and
most of the fellows bring their
blankets up and sleep on deck. Two
evenings some of the fellows got to-
gether and gave a musical in the
dining room. A collection was taken
at one of them for the mariners or
phans at Liverpool and over hun
dred dollars was collected, Thursday
pght we came into the danger zone.
All the RATS were placed against
the deck rails and the life boats
were lowered beside them and life
pl servers were ordered carried all
the time. Friday we were met by
an American convoy. Everybody
was glad to see it. We have been
preceded by a convoy zig-zagging
around us as we zig-zagged and
rolled ourselves ever since.
The water on this side of the
ocean seems to have great deal of
phosphorus in it. In the night there
is luminous trail from where the
boat breaks the water for long
Iuistance back 0f7us. While coming
over, | have often recalled different
parts of Enoeh Arden and Toilers of
The Sea. Yesterday when l awoke
sea gulls were flying over the ship.
After the fog cleared little we
saw the coast of ireland. 1t looked
very hilly and barren in the distance,
but as we drew nearer we could see
that while the coast is rugged and
rocky, the land THes back over the
hills and is divided into farm lots of
about twenty acres each by dark
green hedges. There are little
patches of woods along down the
valleys. The farm buildings are
nearly all painted white with red
roofs and are we'll kept. The differ
ent shades of green in the fields,
hedges and woods as they slope
gently down to the gagged coast
covered with purple heather have a
beautiful, quiet and peaceful look
that truly represents the description
in the song, "A little bit of Heaven
dropped from out the sky one day."
The little boats that came out to us
were painted green. The water is
of greenish color. We passed a
few old time thatched roof houses.
We are now at Queenstown. 1t is
built on a side hill and looks to be
about the size Of Springfield, Ver-
mont. The houses are brick four
stories high. built up close to each
other. Streets run along the side of
the hill. A big stone Catholic church
is in the center. The time here is
six hours ahead of Boston and WASH
ington. There is no business indus
try. Some little Irish boys came
alongside in row boats. then older
people came up. One woman had
some Irish lace for sale. She called
US each, 'Mv son." She said she
had sixteen daughters. One of the
fellows remarked: Gee, quite a
bunch" Oh, no." she said, I'VE
never grow less than a dozen in Ire
land" Their brogue and express
sions were very interesting.
From here we go to Liverpool.
] will write when we get to France.