Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-17
HOW FIRST SHIPS
CROSSED OCEAN
WITH HALLLIGHTS
Welsh Royalty Entertain the
American Blue Jackets,
Harrisburg Boy Writes

The following letter received by
Mr.. and Mrs. W. II. Myers, 122 North
River street, from their son. Quar-
termaster Waldo L. Myers, says that
the Red Cross is everywhere doihs
the good work:
L. S. S. Bushnell.
Queenstown, Ireland.
Nov. "a, 1918.
Dear Mother. Father and Sisters:
I received YOUR welcome letter anu
was glad to hear from home. AFTER
being assigned to the L. ). ,. BUSH
nell | left Philadelphia october 81
went TO Hoboken to sail for queens,
town ireland, where the Bushnell
was ouartered. The l. ). ,. OrlHaDd
was the vessel 1 was to take passase
on. obo,,+
November 1st we took on ABOUT
500 members of machine gun res
iment, but on November : they WeLe
ordered ashore because the Orlzdua
and her sister ship, the slooheS'
were going to cross without C1nr
Vov. and with all running nshtS
burning. We had nobody aboard
the vessels but sailors.
At 9 a, m, November 8, We pro-
ceeded TO sea. Orders were gwen
10 all hands TO wear life jackets AT
all times. These vessels were the
first TO cross with running hshts
burning and without convoy since
we entered the war. we stFuCh d
storm soon as we lest sight OF lanu
and it kept up until November O.
about noon, when the sea DeCaule
calm. and stayed calm until ABOUT
81 cor mo
hit another storm which lasted until
we reached st. NaZaire, France.
Sec U-Boat
About 4,3U p. M, November II,
the day the armistice was sisneu
we sighted a U-boat about zoo yards
off our port quarter The SlpoheS
fired at her with her 5-inch battery
and she went down, but don't Know
if it was hit or not. Three destroy
ers came out in answer 10 our can
for a convoy. Pulled into 81. Ma
Zaire November II. TOOK on aUout
700 wounded soldiers and belleNe
&c +bey were wounded. We then
nroceeded along the coast of France
10 Rrest From here we took the
DESTROYER Bell to Plymouth, Eng
land. Here we took the Great West
ern r. r. for Liverpool via Lonuoh'
but lust before we got started we
received orders to go to tlshguafa'
South Wales. !.
The next morning we woke up TO
find ourselves sidetracked IN III
tie town named Clynderwen' Soutn
Wales, We were hungry ana hau
money to buy food, but no place TO
buy Ii. But when the farmers got
awake we had more than enough TO
eat and they would not accept a
cent of nav. At 10 a. NJ, we left Tor
Iishguard and arrived at II a. m.
We marched down through the
town looking for hotel at whlch
10 get dinner. The natives thought
we were German prisoners, never
having seen an American sailor.
Welsh Hospitality
But when they found that we
were Americans, each tamlly look
two or three of us to their homes
and gave us dinner an dsupper anu anu
believe me, they did feed us. That
evening they held a dance in the
school house for our benefit ana
gave us more TO eat The Welsh
people certainly are generous ana
bospitable. The boys viii never
forget this day. We took a boat
from Fishguard for Rosslare, Ire
land and from there we took n tram
TO Cork.
At Waterford, Ireland, the heu
Cross nurses gave us sandwiches
cookies and tea. Believe me the
Red Cross meets the boys every
where and they have the pleasant
feature of being at the right place
at the right time.
We took dinner at the Metropole
Hotel ar Cork. This is the best hotel'
in the city. Took Il train for Queens
town and from there another train
TO Bantry and from there the S. 5.
Princess Beaia to Castletown and
from there we took motor sailer
10 the Bushnell, then lying in
Bantry Bay. So here l am at last,
after travelling twenty-one days con-
inuously, aboard my vessel. We
leave for Portland, Eng, to stay
three weeks and from there we go to
the Azore Islands, then TO Bermuda
and from there to Philadelphia.
| expect to be home some time in
January. | suppose you think it is
strange that | am telling YOU all this,
but the censorship was lifted and we
can tell anything we want | must
close now; will write you from
Portland, Eng.
This is Mr.. Myers eighth trip
across. He enlisted April =, 1917,
and was given his rating as quar-
termaster March !, 1918. He was a
former Tech High student.