New Britain herald., 1918-01-29

We were rolling and pitching like
rowboat on Long Island Sound. The
water poured in our ports as we were
i circling around trying to locate the
SON. of-a-g gun. We were in water up
to our knees; of course that is all
in a days work and no one seemed
to mind.
Every man has a job to do in bat
tie and mine was to pass powder. We
opened the powder chest and stood the
bags in the racks, when all of a sud
den the ship made a lurch and pow
der and shells and dishes started to
slide along the deck. One of the
crew tried to hold a tray Of shells
and it took him from one bulkhead
to the other. We finally grabbed him
and put the shells in their rack and
secured it. All this time the trans
port was firing and we did not get
chance. All day and night the
crew stood by the guns but it was Of
no use as the Sub" did not show up.
This was kept up for four days. We
were ordered to wear life preservers
at all times, until further notice, and
we sure did.
We had to stand lookout watches,
that is, the bunch that came aboard
with me, 4S in all. We were in re-
liefs of half an hour on and one and
one-half hours off for four hours and
then eight hours off. This sounds
easy but we had to use bin oculars and
our eyes were glued to them for half
an hour at a time. To take them
away from our eyes meant sinking
duty. and that is a bad thing to do In
war time Each man had an arc of
so degrees to watch and any object
seen had to be reported.
The Germans have a habit of put
ting mines under a rowboat Or at
taching them to a timber and the
wake of a ship would explode it and
blow the ship to pieces. 1t was
tickIish job but we got away with 1t.
They even cover the periscopes with
a box so as to deceive a vessel until
it can launch torpedo. This job
lasted for four days and I was glad
when it was stopped.
When we were about 200 miles
from France we sighted our relief de-
stroyers that were to take the ships
into port
Our orders were to keep on going
until they met us, so we had to turn
back when it seemed as though we
were going to land.
When the destroyers got near
enough we turned around and started
for home. We were proceeding for
Boston when we bumped into a storm
that was a storm. / don't care to
be in any more like it. We drifted
around all night and half the next
day and were then ordered to go to
Hampton Roads. We were pretty
close to Boston and the weather was
very cold Everyone was sore when
we started south as they were plan
ming on Burroughs. The notice was
posted that we would get a week when
we hit Boston, SO you see was had
reason.
We were twenty four days at sea,
| with out seeing land, and it seems good
| to be able to see some life again.
AS the ship is over crowded we have
| to sleep on the deck and when the
sea is rough our hanmocks slide all
! over it.
! One night I was enjoying a good
| sleep when the ship took dip to one
! side so far that the life boats hit the
| water. L woke UP and I was sailing
/ along the deck bed and bedding. The
fire bell rang and I thought my time
| had come. L TuSH5u 10 lily llS DID,
! ton and on the way up the ladder I
| thought I would be drowned, the
| water was coming in so much. The
/ fire did not amount to anything as it
| was only a life belt. We had to turn
| to and put in the gun shutters and
7 dry up the deck before we could turn
| in again.
1t seems funny now when I think
| of all the things that happened, and l
7 laugh when we get talking about
| them.
Twenty-four days at sea and did
/ not lose a meal. [ guess / can make
good as a sailor, but me for the c. s.
c. whenever the war is over.
Best regards to all. hoping You are
well and the clerks have brains
enough to use their own quarters.
Pound hex steel. Does q. s. S. take
the same stock as v.
i Yours truly
JIM