Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-12
RED CROSS WORKER
LOST FOR So HOURS
IN ARGONNE FOREST
MISS SARAH WILMER BRAVES
FRONT LINE TRENCHES TO
PASS CHOCOLATE TO YANkS
ONLY TO FIND WAY BACK CUT
OFF AND TO BECOME VICTIM
OF A HUN GAS ATTACK.

Morning press dispatch from New
York carry news of great interest to
many 0tCawans In the story OF the
heroic work of Miss Sarah Wilmer of
Chicago, who was lost for thirty-six
hours in the Argonne forest while on
active duty as front line canteen
worker for the American Red Cross
Miss Wilmer is known to many Otta.
vans personally. and many others
have heard her when she appeared
on the platform at the Ottawa chau-
tauqua. Her last visit to this city
was three years ago when she ap.
peared on the program with DR.. w.
s. Sadler. She is an elocutionist Of
great ability.
Lost for Thrty-Six Hours.
The dispatch carrying news Of her
injury follows:
New York, Dec. 11.--For thirty-six
hours a Chicago girl \. NJ. G. A. work
er in France wandered through the
| midst of the fighting in the Argonne
forest, hid in an abandoned first line
trench. and finally took refuge behind
a tree just as a German gas shell
burst above her.
Two days afterward she recovered
consciousness in q field hospital She
is Mis-. ..lAh Wilmer. whose former
business address was 50 North lState
| street.
| Miss Wilmer is in New York Red
Cross hospital slowly recovering from
! the effects of the gas. She reached
New York today on the Kroonland.
one OF the five army transports carry
ing more than 5000 returning sol
had been severely wounded or Gassed.
She will return to her Chocago home
when sufficiently recovered.
| Heroine" of the Ship.
| The story the young woman had to
tell accounts for the fact that the
1,347 soldiers on the kroonand re,
| garded her as their especial charge
She was the heroine Of the ship,
they all insisted.
1t was during the remarkable ad
vance on the Sedan front that Miss
Wilmer achieved her experience.
Il was engaged in the first line
trenches she said The boys there
were about to go into action. Many
never would come back. Compared
to theirs my risk was small when
entered the front trench to pass out
candy and cigarets.
But the advance trench was de
serted The boys already had gone
over in the beginning of their won
derful Sedan drive.
Cut OF by Barrage.
Then, before could get back +,
the rear, the Germans opened up {
barrage, which cut off escape.
crawled into an old German dugou
which the Americans so recently hat
taken.
IN spite Of the terrific lombard
ment, went to sleep When | awol,
the front seemed quiet. left nj.
refuge and in second was lost hope
leSsly, for it was night
Il don't know how my wandering
carried me into the thick Of the Al
gonne forest action. Shells wcr
splintering all about me, and the dil
practically deafened me-
Il groped about for thirty-six hours
| was exhausted. | fell under a ire
and almost the next moment the ga
>, shell burst. had my gas masl
which gave me few minutes prt
lection. But the fumes came .througl
1.-TWO days later in an advance fiel
hospital when ! had regained col
t sciousnoss, they told me an army p;
I troll had stumbled upon me by ace
: dent. At first | was supposed to b
u dead.
I'm going to get back to Chicag
d as soon as the doctors will allow me