Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-30
U. s. SOLDIER WRITES
49, OF TRANSPORT TROUBLES

VT lHaNSb VIM
NEW YORK. September 29.-Trials
OF an American soldier on board q
transport en- route to France are de-
tailed in letter just received here
from II. w. Ross. a Californian. and
private in the Eighteenth Eng inccrs
United States Army. Private Ross eN
plains that he is somewhere in the
Atlantic" at the time OF writing and
nearing the end of a voyage which,
up to that time. had continued fifteen
days on the water. An English vessel
was used to transport the men to
France. and Ross expresses admiration
for the crew. most of the members OF
which have been through several sub
marine sinkings.
Dear
II am writing this under difficulties
on n ship presumed to be some where
in the Atlantic, near the end of voy-
!, age, which now is on it's fifteenth day.
L am wearing a bulky life prcscrvcr.
Which works more for mental than
physical case. sitting on bunk in n
four-berth stateroom with n typewriter
in my lap. The stateroom is a luxury
permitted for letter-writing purposes;
by kind lieutenant There is hardly
room for my typewriter. one of the
portable type, in the troop quarters.
which are tween decks. There are
Ldeleted by ccnsorl troops aboard.
nearly all Quartcred on the first deck
below the main deck in space, which
once accommodated probably 1000
steeraEe passengers.
In the days when this ship, a Brit
fish tname delcted by censorl, IL the
censor let's it stand. carried immi-
grants. they never understood the con-
servation of space. They have packed
us In wooden hunks, which at first
sight are more remindful of coffin.
They are two feet vide six feet long
and two tiers high Mine is n lower.
can't sit on the end without humping
my head on the one above The only
thing to do is to crawl in. double up,
pull on your shoes, place them under
your pillow and let it go ut that Tho
vessel has list to port which is the
side L happen to inhabit. The arst
night out we shipped few seas.
They came down through tho hatch
ways and lodged under my bunk AS
i had placed all OF my belongings on
the floor. it was disconcerting. Nj gun
and everything else was two feet UNI
der water. Some things washed away,
md l haven't recovered them vet. My
hat, for example.
We came across the United States
from American Lake on three special
trains in seven days. with a short
pause somewhere in Minnesota We
landed at Wcehawken one morning Mt
daylight, were marched onto A ferry
boat, transported across a well-known
river to large and famous city, put
aboard this craft and we never got of.
We did not have long on board the
ship before we were on the move. We
sailed at that evening. and the only
glimpse got of the big town was
from side port. / saw dozen or
30 well-known buildings. then a statue,
then nothing more until we put in at
a Canadian port for few hours to
join the convoy train Of which this
ship is a member.
~ AT night we run totally dark. \
cigarette lighted on the deck, and the
man at the other end is under arres,
II It's after nightfal. retain my
freedom because l threw away all my
matches the frSt night out.
a. Whenever There, lis sigma! from
the flagship something happens. We
either change our course or specd mn
or reduce. Once we put entirely about
and back-tracked for while. Truly.
IT will be a notable feat il the whole
train is landed safely.
The eats have been terrible First.
they are the English idea. and. there
lore, not agreeable to Americans
stomachs. Fish for breakfast isn't
popular, nor is tea. Then the food.
which probably is good enough TO
begin with. is all steam cooked ami
from the popular viewpoint, ruined.
The mess hall is on the aftcr-end. n.-
low deck II seats about TOO. and wa
eat at three sittings. Mine is the
third The dining room. a connie of
days ago. got so odorlferous that IN.
AmeFican doctors ordered a renovation.
But, at that. one can't but admire .hs
crew. The skipper has been running
through the submarine zone since the
war, and never has been hit Most
or the crew have been torpeioAd or
mined on various vessels some two or
three times There is "A scarcity of
seamen, and boys are numerous I'm ;no
crew. But England, one of the Office, .
was telling me. has an effective way
OF keeping her sailors sailing. Tbr.,
weeks ia all a man is allowed asboro
II he hasn't another job by thar finn.
.he is drafted for the army. lie can
be the only survivor of the mos,
notable wreck OF the war. bu, h, has
only twenty-one days to tell his friends
about 1t.
~ probably will have more time TO
write later. Give my regards to every
one. Yours.
- al W pncc,,