The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-07
RED CROSS MAKES
PER|LOUS FLIGHT
FROM RUMAN|A
MISSION BARELY ESCAPE
CAPTURE AND DEATH
FROM HUNS.
UNDER BON B A RDMENT
Make Journey in Antiquated Train
Pulled by Ancient Locomotive in
Charge of Defiant Bolshevik En-
gineer Who Plays Traitor.

London, May I'm an eventful
flight from Jassy the Rumanan
capital, the American Red Cross
mission to Rumania which now has
arrived in London, escaped from
Odessa 50 hours before the Ger
mans entered it only to be fired on
by German battery in the Ukraine,
200 miles north of the famous Black
Sea port.
The German shells did no dam
age to the Red Cross train. falling
about a half a mile from it, but
several members Of the mission
breathed a sigh of relief when the
bombardment came to an end after
minutes which had seemed like
hours.
The American Red Cross mission
left on the third OF six trains which
carried the allied missions from
Jassy.
Each train was provided with
food tor month There were no
dining cars and the food was cook
ed in two military food kitchens
abandoned by Russian troops which
were carried on freight car on the
end OF the train. Three other freight
cars loaded with rails, ties and rail
way iron also were carried so that
the road could be repaired quickly
in case of accident or ii the Ger
mans had torn up the line.
Of 1876 Make.
The engine dated back to 1876
and burned wod, which was picked
up along the way. The engineer
fired the engine. He was an elder
ly Russian of bolshevik opinion, and
had tobe fed with rubles and cog
nae almost as frequently as the en-
gine required wood. He carried his
family with him in a box car next
to the engine and whenever meals
or other domestic affairs required
his attention he stopped the train
and went home to his box car.
Just outside Odessa the engineer
became dissatisfied with the flow
OF rubles and cognac and went on
a strike. The French officers tried
to reason with him, but he was OBJ
durate and departed with the en-
gine and the box car, leaving the
remainder of the train standing on
the main line.
Was Critical Time.
He had chosen rather a critical |
time, as reports were current that
the Germans were likely to reach |
the railway at any moment. After
some delay the French succeeded in
finding another engineer and en-
gine and the train proceeded.
As a matter of fact, German bat
talions entered Odessa only SO hours |
after the Americans passed through |
the city, and it is probable that
some OF their advance parties al
ready were in the suburbs at the !
time the engineer went on strike.
The striker apparently suffered |
a change OF heart soon after he
left the train, for the next day |
when the train was a hundred miles |
or 50 beyond Odessa, he, with his |
engine and home caught up with |
the train. He begged the French |
officers to take him back on their
own terms. The French declined /
to reinstate the traitor and the last
seen of him he was taking his en-
CINE and box car backward on the
return trip to south Russia.
Travel On New Road.
For the first hundred miles or
so out of Odessa. the train scarry-
ing the allied missions from. Ru-
mania travelled over a new railway /
which had been completed only 4 /
short time before by Russian mill
tary engineers. 1t was rather
circuitous route. but it was be-
lieved the Germans were ignorant
of its existence. and that 1t was
safer than the old lines.
On the second day when the
train bearing the Americans was
about 200 miles north Of Odessa,
one OF the doctors saw flash OF