Putnam patriot., 1917-01-19
BACK FROM ITALY
Yeang Italian, American Citizen, Glad
to Be Home
Had Exciting Time During Long Voyage

Amecare Vianchi, Is, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Angelo Vianchi, Putnam, arrived
in Putnam early Wednesday morning
from Italy where he had been study
ing stone cutting ut Civic near Milan.
When the Italian government began
drafting young men OF eighteen Tor
service Vianchi thought it about time
tat he got out of the country. His
father is a naturalized American citi-
zen but was not naturalized when the
son was born and in order to prove
himself an American citizen Amecare
had to procure copies of bis father s
papers from this country.
In speaking of his experiences
Thursday, Amecare, rosy checked
young man sporting his first mustache,
said: "The trip across was awful. L
am thankful TO get home although l
did not experience a great deal OF
difficulty getting out of the country.
81 was living in Westerly, h. l.,
and had been one year in the high
school when it was decided that L go
TO the cid country TO learn stone cut
ting, the trade of my father. | went
over in the steerage and the trip TO
Genoa took ten days.
81 enjoyed my new work. When
the war broke out | stayed on. But
when the boys of my age were ordered
10 the colors | thought ii was time for
me 10 leave. Although l was an
American citizen | was afraid | would
be drafted if stayed. My father and
mother wrote urging me to come home.
They sent the papers and | finally Sc
cured my passport from the American
ambassador at Rome. The consul at
Milan also did everything he could for
me.
"When had the papers the consul
told me 1 might as we'll take the
chance and start. He said If they
stopped me and drafted me there
would be no way out of it. | went TO
Genoa and was refused ticket by the
booking agent but when l ,saw the
higher sofficials and showed my pass
port they let me through without
further trouble.
aI boarded the Dante Alighirie OF
the Italian Trans Atlantic Navigation
Company and we set sail. During the
day the ship sailed slowly but at night
ran all speed ahead. We ziezaeed
back and forth and from Palermo went
back to Genoa again. We were In
continuous wireless communication
with the shore and Rugged the coast
all along by Spain.
alt was New Years day that sub
marines were reported. We were all
ordered to put on life belts. There
were $500 passengers aboard, women
and children predominating. They
were crying and praying and every
body was frightened. We took an
other course and none of us saw a
submarine. | would go below to sleep
but would awaken every little.while in
fear of the dreaded submarine. L was
rough and was an awful trip. | will
never forget the scene on New Years
day.
at took us twenty days to cross We
stopped two days at the Azores. When
we reached the Straight OF Gibralta it
was all lighted up. A search light
was thrown on us and gun doomed a
warning to stop. We dropped anchor
and a torpedo boat came alongside and
British officers made an Investigation.
Every time we stopped search was
made for stowaways and several were
put Oft the ship.
"Where | was was near the Swiss
boundary. They are working rapidly
on Notifications and tunnels. You
could hear the explosions day and
night where they were building tun-
nels.
1.-THE young men are all at the front.
Just boys and old men remain in the
towns and cities. | wrote to friend
a few weeks before / sailed and learned
that he had just been killed. had no
trouble getting food such as it was.
aThere ,were two guns mounted on
the stern of the ship coming over and
she gunners several times engaged In
target practice and they hit the target
too.
IL am glad TO be home and my
father and mother are glad that have
arrived safely. My passage home, sec,
ond class, cost me 500 francs, $780,"
Angelo Vianchi is marble cutter
for Luther NJ. Keith of Putnam, COM
ing here from Westerly little over a
year ago.