The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-09-07
AMBULANCE man
FACED WAR PE|R|LS
On Several Occasions Mar
!. roW|y Escaped Death.
ToRPEO0ES MISSED SHIP

E. II. McCrahon, Veteranized hk His
Experience, Wants to Fight Now On-
dor Old Glory-says That Not Even
Dead Arc Permitted to Rest In Their
Graves In This Awful War.
In the hope Of winning an ott1cer's
commission at Plattsburg Edward
Howard McCrahon, twenty-four years
old, of Brooklyn, has arrived home att
er serving since last May as an amDu-
lance driver for the American Red
Cross on the French front.
ever since America entered the
war;" said young McCrahon, Il have
felt that l could serve my country
better on the actual fighting line
rather than driving an ambulance.
That is why I am now here in All ell
deavor to win commission, that l may
return to the other side and help III
the battle for world freedom and de-
mocracy."
Before starting for the fighting front
last April McCrahon was an inspector
for the Acme Die Casting corporation
Of Brooklyn. He brought back with
him q wealth Of stories Of the fighting
On the French front.
His First Thrill.
McCrahon was hardly started on his
military career before he saw action.
He sailed ON the French liner Rocham-
beau on April p. Sixty miles off the
French coast, while standing with q
group of men at the port rail, he sight
ed q periscope. Almost at the same
instant the wake Of a torpedo was
seen. The ship was swung over, and
the torpedo passed about fifty feet
astern. The submarine submerged, but
again came to the surface, only to meet
q volley Of shells from the stern guns
Of the Rochambeau. A second torpedo
passed harmlessly by. Wireless calls
for help brought French destrOyers on
the scene, and the submarine disap-
peared.
"There is plenty Of action driving
IN ambulance" said McCrahon, "but
/ am husky and in the flush Of health.
and l think l can serve better In an
actual fighting unit. A man slightly
crippled can drive an ambulance quite
as we'll as man with full physical
qualifications. l think men slightly in
jured should be given the Jobs of driv-
ing ambulances. while those better able
to do so take up the burden of real
fighting.
Il arrived in Bordeaux on April 80
and went Immediately to Paris, where
was made an ambulance driver.
After Americas entry into the war l
asked for my release from the ambu-
lance corps, and it was granted. l was
discharged July g. In that short time
! saw enough to realize the horrors Of
modern warfare"
Confessss He Was Scared.
McCrahon has the courage to con-
TESS that on several occasions he was
scared.
scared? l should say l was. But
that creepy feeling which may be de-
scribed as fright gradually wears on.
Perhaps the experience which got my
nerve more than any other was gas
attack With my assistant, chap
named Witzel Of Newark. we were
On the road, l at the wheel driving.
when four poilus popped out of the
night and yelled Gas! I shook like
leaf. l was semiparalyzed. But l
pulled myself together and awakened
Witzsel just in time to don our gas
masks. A few more seconds and we
would have had our lungs full of the
deadly stuff The gas attack lasted
over half an hour. sweeping the whole
region.
81 had another close call. Nearly
dead of thirst from driving over dusty
roads, took chance ON a drink from
roadside we'll, although we had been
advised against it, Nausea seized me
almost Immediately. and l was fright
fully weakened. l was carried to a
hospital, where l lowered between life
and death for eleven days. l owe my
recovery to the untiring attention of a
Miss Levy, trained nurse at one Of
the French base hospitals.
Usually in gas attacks warning is
given by shrill blasts Of a horn. Shell
lodging comes as matter of course.
Those used to the song Of the shells
can tell almost within a few feet Of
where they will fail. The size of the
ahell can also be determined by its
shrek.
II must say kind word for the
French officers. No matter what the
surrounding conditions may be, they
are always the perfection of courtesy.
There seems to be a spirit of common
brotherhood between the French officer
and his men.
Danger Turks Everywhere.
1T seems that not even the dead are
to be permitted to rest in their graves
in this awful war. Not far from st.
Quentin a cemetery was within range
Of cross fire between a Canadian con-
tingent and the German lines. The
shells tore up the graves and scattered
IL