Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-11-30

Understanding COuIu De gwen Ule AlntTl-
can people and Congress might act on
war matters with clearer understanding.
With this group of ten members of con-
gress, went John B. Ritch, the Montana
poet, writer and editor. His account of
the trip is interesting making a pen
picture that only literary genius could
put together.
was a passenger on a great trans
Atlantic liner which slipped away from
it's dock in an American port few days
ago to start on it's perilous journey to
European waters,-to the seas which
will give up their dead at, the Resurrec-
ton, but which will never reveal the
horrors with which many of them met
death in the days of Frightfulness.
A strikingly noticeable feature of this
departure was the positive quietude
which prevailed. No happy, laughing,
crowd gathered to say good-by and bid
bon voyage to those who sailed; there
was no cheering; there was no attempt
at any kind of demonstration. Soldiers
in uniform guarded every entrance to
the big dock and government inspectors
kept vigilant account of all persons who
sought to go aboard. The men who
worked at the final loading of the vessel
worked rapidly and quietly; worked as
if they, too, felt that this ship might be
driving with its precious burden Of
human freight into,-what? The
passengers who were permitted to come
aboard either retired to their allotted
quarters or stood intently following the
movements of the workmen. Great
trucks of mail for those overseas drew
up a monster sling was lowered and
soon the mountain Of mail sacks was
swallowed up in the hold. The workmen
had finished, bell rang, sister ships at
an adjoining pier sent out two or three
raucous blasts the massive, quantity
painted hull slipped slowly from its
leashes, the soldiers on guard drew up to
the edge of the dock, a momentary hutter
OF handkerchiefs and waving Of farewells
both from the ship and the pier, and the
journey to Uncertainty had begun.
What a contrast to the happy days
of peace, when even in Americas busiest
port the departure of such a vessel drew
hundreds OF see and the occasion was one
of joyous festivity; when a multitude of
whistles shrieked their noisy good wishes
and a thousand voices called hearty
farewells, while as many loving hearts
offered confident prayer to the
Master Mariner that He would deal
gently with their loved ones and keep
them safe. But these are the days of
the Great War. and God, himself holds
the secret OF what may befall the traveller
at sea.
The story of the passage OF this ship
overseas is one that might we'll apply to
all ships that make the voyage success
fully at this day. From the time she
passed out to the open sea in protection of
the night until she docked at the welcome
English port every precaution for the
safety of her passengers and cargo was
employed. Experienced, steady-nerved
men, always alive to their responsibilities,
controlled her course; other men, equally
as watchful and altogether as courageous,
stood day and night at the powerful
guns which armed her decks, peering
into the mist of day and the gloom Of night
for a sight of that which sets every
American hearts ahame in these days.
1t seemed to me that the ordinary
incidents of this voyage we're Just about
as usual The sea was smooth and it
was rough; there was the average
number of sea-sick people, and the usual
number that were we'll all the time, and
liked to tell about it. The mists settled
down as they always do; the little sour
ries of rain came; and the sea birds that
kept US company the whole way were
the same familiar friends that kept
stout the heart of Americas discoverel
when he was faint with the fear of ht
know not what. The only apparen
difference was the tension of anxiety
which every, one of us felt and of which
no one spoke-the anxiety which come
from an unseen and an unknown DANCER