The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-19
(St. Augustine Record)

One of the most interesting letters
received from abroad recently, which
tells Of action right up at the front,
is that received by Mr.. and Mrs. w.
?. Carpenter from their friend, ]. E.
Lenning, of Japer, Ca, who is we'll
known in st. Augustine. His descrip-
ton of the strange noises to be heard
during a bombardment, and his clas-
sification Of the sounds made by the
different kinds Of ammunition as they
come whizzing along are specially
graphic. The letter is reproduced in
part as follows:
Il have thought of you so often,
ard how l wish | could spend a quiet
month with you in old st. Augustine,
for it's long way from being quiet
up here. Have been under shell fire
since in June, and about all | can
write of now is my Impressions and
thoughts of it. You'll find this letter
full of pauses. and very disconnected,
in regard to thoughts and expression.
The pauses are to see il the whining
shells are my visitors or going farther
back. The other is when | jump for
a shell-hole, or get in behind an old
wall
l am acting liaison officer for my
regiment. My business runs from
third line into first. am stationed
mostly in rear of second line. Where
am stationed the noise from guns,
ETC., reminds me Of o rank amateur
bunch Of musicians, preferably an or
chestra, trying to handle classical
piece Of music--it goes like this.
The boom In the distance of big guns
and closeup explosion Of shells, the
bass drum; the whine of large shells
to bass viol; the smaller shells whine
to cello; bullets to violin; the rata
tat-tat of machine guns to snare
drum; the hand grenades to crash of
symbals; the bombers, one-pounders
clank of steel, ETC., to the trap drum
mer, piano, etc. 1t is some orchestra,
and especially so when the Leading
Villain (airplane at night usually
comes on. must not leave out the
stage electrician (signal rockets,
flares and star shells). All the ex.
element quiets down at times to let
one doze off, just to have the salts
| faction of waking one up rehearsing.
They awakened me this a. m. From
the way the American artillery was
firing they surely thought they were
behind time. If this keeps up much
longer, can't see where there will be
enough men left in Germany to run
barber shop for 1t must be an aw-
full nightmare for the Kaiser!
you should see my Hotel de
Lookout lookout is meaning for
shell, etc. The ventilation is os-
pecially good, owing to direct shell
hits, one needs no doors as the shells
have made openings enough. Have
different signs to direct my visitors
to Ladies Rest Room" lighted by ex-
cellent sky lights, Roof Garden"
where you can view my orchestra, al.
though my "Rathskeller" Cellar is
the most popular. Speed limit for
getting off roof garden when shells
come that way is liz miles per. To
get in behind an old wall, ninety
miles per, and so it goes.
1.-THE view from my Roof Garden
reminds me of my fathers descrip.
ton of the Chinese merchants cele-
bration with fireworks. The competi-
ton at times gets fierce, and then it
is horrifyingly fascinating. Maybe
one of the screaming shells will ex-
plode close up, then one opens his
eyes in kind of suspended ANNA
ton to see il one is still among the
living. One takes too much sport in
ducking and lodging to realize the
danger until afterwards. It's like the
feeling ball player has in scoring
the winning run in hard,fought
game. The fascination of the sport
makes one take more chances than
are really necessary. The lulls give
me the same sensation-like the calm
before the storm. It gets quiet
too D-quiet. If dog would bark,
one would feel better. 1t is the lone
illness of H itself. It's the ST.
lence you most can hear
| have been on several trips that
| know | wouldn't have had the nerve
to make in the States. Through the
most weird and uncanny places,
where the ghosts were out-ghosted
nf there ever was such a thing) At
times the surroundings together with
the weirdness and unreality of it pass
all comprehension. One goes on, for
there is something urges one on be-
sides thought-not to go would be