The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-08-31
Jack LIZ CLAIRE

french lieutenant to serve as a con-
Meeting link between the section and
the French army. We also have sew
eral soldiers, who serve as cooks and
mechanics. More new men are ar
irving on each ney boat and they
are taken to the Red Cross training
camp for "a thorough training of two
OF three weeks. We. have very fine
crowd OF boys in our section COM
7osed Of twenty-Seven from Mime
ota, so We have named our section
he minnesota Section" Our cars
are very large and heavy, having a
capacity OF five men on stretchers
or ten men sitting, but during a
busy time have carried as many as
t4frteen men in one load.
Fighting Has Been Terrific.
During the past week the fighting
ere has been terrific on both sides,
nd as we are on the most exciting
sectors of this great war, we have
been kept very busy. Today is my
irst day of rest after being on duty
continually for five days and nights
With only three or four hours rest.
eur post where we receive the
ounded is located beyond the third
lie trenches, so consequently, We
e always under shell fire and gas
y,mb attacks. Much of the road over
mich we travel is protected by diff
erent methods, as the Germans can
asily see our machines and other
lraffic moving. OF course, the most
difficult feature of our work is the
night driving, as we are permitted to
use no lights whatever, and the roads
fr,1l 1f To,
milton trains, and awful shell holes.
one of us must walk in front of the
one of us must walk in front of the
car so as to pick the road.
A few nights ago the German bonn
bardment was terrible, and believe /
will remember this particular night all
my life. My cousin and / are on a
car together. We were called to the
receiving post at three o'clock in the
morning, and the night was very
dark and rainy. Just a short dis
lance from the post we experienced
our first gas attack, and we at once
put on our gas masks which we keep
strapped pver one shoulder. The Ger
mans now have gas shells which they
sweeten In various ways, so many OF
us have been caught that way. 1 did
not !. ,gets my mask on quite soon
enough. Ind as result had a bad
headache and burning sensation in
my lungs.
Gas Has Terrible Effect.
These gas shells have a terrible
effect upon the soldiers over here as
it seems to begin it's deadly work
before the masks can be put on We
kept on going trying to see with the
masks on, but it was very difficult
We encountered numerous dead
horses, trees in the road, shell holes
and one poor soldier blown to pieces
by a shell and when fellow runs in
to these objects in the dark with
shells falling all around, can truth
fully say my hair stood up straight
many times. In this immediate vi
,cinity during the past week, two
American Red Cross drivers have
been seriously wounded and four
American ambulance men so badly
injured that it is doubtful whether
they will live or not.
r Il am very happy to hear that Man
kato was so successful in raising such
a large fund.. for the Red Cross and
every one who donates is certainly
giving for the greatest cause Of our
country. Some of US receive news
paper once = while but of course
by that time they are at least a