Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1918-04-12
Hospital Corps.
u. S. S. Great Northern
New York City, n. Y.


New York City, N. Y.
At last we are again upon American
soil and, really, after our most splen-
did trip, we are glad to come in view
of the Statue of Liberty.
We left New York for France on
the 18th of March and after six and
one-half days of perfect weather we
landed at a seaport in western
France, an ancient city first fortified
by the Romans upon Caesars inva-
sion of that part of the country.
The forts or castles are still as
strong and beautiful as in the days
of old, Upon entering the harbor
we were quite surprised to learn that
everything was green and flowers IN
bloom, but spring comes much
earlier there than in our country, !
mean the state of Washington.
After anchoring in the bay we un-
loaded our live cargo, which consist
ed of soldiers. We transferred what
sick ones we could and on the fol-
lowing day we had 10 hours of lib
erty in the European city, and did
not know what or where to go,
One of the boys first suggested a
war meal, which l hope will never
come to my experience again, but
we were curious and found out just
what the poor French people have
to eat.
The war bread gave us amusement
for some time. We first tried to find
out where the sawmill might be in
which they obtained the sawdust for
it was like eating sawdust and
straws mixed up into little water
and bran.
Next course was coffee; almost
absolutely black; made from a root
and favored with extract of coffee.
Eggs poor eggs; long had they
been laid We put a few flowers on
them and wished them on to some
poor French kids waiting to see if
we left anything upon our plate
which | promise you we did.
BY signs and motions we very we'll
understood what 1t cost per plate
so cents in gold or American money,
for most all of their money is paper
money. We very soon learned how
to read their way of counting their
money and ours. But l can assure
you we ate American style after that
one war meal"
From there we paid a visit to an
ancient castle or now called fort,
which was just as the books say
This castle is on bank of a small
river. The walls are built of stone,
as we'll as all the rest The death
chambers are as we have read about
in stories, One cell, called the death
cell, is a place divided off into four
sections.
First upon our arrival was a room
in which the ceiling and floor comes
together, crushing the life out of
all things in its way. Next (no. p
was the spikes of death, a cell with
sharp spikes so close together that
only room to walk in between. In
olden times the prisoners either had
to stand up or sleep upon these
spikes-imagine a person sleeping
with four or five spikes running half
way through him.
Then comes No. 3, or the lightless
cells-cells which have no openings
whatever, and prisoners were given
food through small pipes.
Then the stretching cell, which
has iron beds with weights. Upon
these were placed the prisoners, who
were pulled to pieces. No. 4 was the
cell where they made men blind by
sticking red-hot pokers in their eyes.
and then let them loose only to run
into sharp spikes in the wall.
OF course these cruel things all
happened hundreds of years before
America was even heard Of Today
they are only to look at, gruesome
reminders of the days that are now
only history. One can easily spend
three or four hours taking in this
palace. The watch towers are still
the same
We had the pleasure of getting to
see a museum containing many
things which / would not miss for
thousands of dollars. No one could
buy this trip to France from me. II
has made US wiser and we have
learned more about our allies than
we ever could by staying here in the
United States. 1t was certainly
great.
Roy Morris is on the U. S. S. Hunt
ington and here in New York. Har-
old Allen. Lee Day. Roy Morris and