American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-05-07
UTAH AMBULANCE DRIVER HAS
Thrilling EXPERIENCE

Thrilling EXPERIENCE
How Il feels to drive an ambulance
full Of wounded soldiers In the a Of
an artillery bOmbardment that shakes
the earth. with shells dropping All
around 50 near that almost N
Aind OF a hole in the ground looks
attractive and % have the experience
OF getting out safely after being en-
ftloped In the yaDor OF deadly gas. is
told BY David Y. Spencer OF Salt Lake
in a letter printed In the Tribune. The
heine" referred TO Is Henry Wallace.
son OF W. H. Wallace OF Salt Lake.
Young Spencer Is an ambulance driver
IL section 63s. automobile convoy. ~
{. A., artillery service. with the French
army:
II must tell you about an exciting
Two days | spent at our front posts.
Just after returning from lazy old
Nlce, heine and | went up together.
On the way up Fritz started Smelling
a barrack which was nestled In some
trees Just of the road where we were
passing II was Just close enough 80
that We couldn't hear the whistle OF
the shell. which Is a bad sign and
goes 70 prove the statement that YOU
never hear the shell hat hits you "
We had Just gotten to the post when
a hurry call came in for some officers
Of high rank.
We went up 10 the place and were
Just turning the car around In the
narrow road when Fritz started she'll
ing. This time the shells sounded even
worse, for we were Ia a little wood
and breaking limbs added to the ex-
blossoms. Needless 20 say. we lost no
time In reaching the dugOut which was
Just Off the road I had never realized
Just how attractive a hole In the
ground Is until rame over here. There
we're Six Frenchmen Ia the little cave,
all OF us being present for the same
purpose. The shells we're coming one a
minute and the pieces we're falling In
aud about the cave.
! had to smile when / glanced about
the cave, for u wa really a door i'm
itation and a direct hit from a small
shell would have demolished Il. Be
tween the shell bursts heard a dove
cooling and looking under the table
a basket or doves which one OF the
poiluH was taking up TO the lines.
= laughed when | thought OF the
dove OF peace being there. Heine and
/ were scared pink or | should say
green. hut we kidded each other out
or u by agreeing TO 20 10 the Orpheum
that night N someone else didn't have
our girls out Our voices we're slightly
shaking during the conversation. but
II got US TO laughing and made the
Frenchmen think VI were crazy or
brave, probably the former.
Well. Fritz finally changed his
range and we got our officers In and
away from the unpleasant spot. The
Smelling went on all day at different
points aud by night the roads we're In
q nasty shape. We had a lot of work
10 do and didn't get back from our
last call until 2 a. m. We were lust
getting undressed when the BOche
started a drum lire on aud around our
posts. For three hours there was a
bombardment. which means
the sound OF one she'll doesn't
cease before the mex one arrives.
ne earth shakes like an earthquake
all the time. After a couple OF hours
I dozed off In spite OF the noise. for
| vas pretty tired | was awakened
With a crash Of timbers and falling
rocks and earth. My first thought was
a big shell had gone through the
other end Of the cave. for the only !
thing the matter with me was that
scared.
In less than a minute | got the
awful odor OF gas. the cave was full
of a. | held my breath and grabbed
my mask. Heine had gotten a Whit
~ Il and vas choking a little. A new
u,an. who was next 10 me. was cough
Ink hard | ltt q candle and the next
he said that one eye OF his
masks was broken. He seemed dazed
and helpless. Heine put his hand
the broken eye and | jumped
Dut OF bed Ia search Of a mask. Luck
iy there was one there and we helped
him on with Il.
"All OF this happened in less time
han 4 takes TO tell. We found on
dressing that a gas she'll had hit the
OF our cave and filled the On
trance with timhers and rocks. We
later told that 5000 gas shells
had been dropped in our little sector
la three hours.
we had a lot OF work that day. I,
hate 10 mention that two young lei
In the ave next 20 ours died a.
our ambulance on the way to the hos
pital We we're all perfectly all right
and cyen the new man. whom [ was
about. was NOT affected by L.
am glad We had the experience. for
Il is the only one I have had In this
sector.
A
shipping Troubles Near an End.