New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
Fruit Shower
Creets Heroes
Arriving Here
Novel Welcome Planned by
Women Proves a Great
Treat for 5000 Veterans
Prosperity for Hoboken
Shops on River Street Are
Emptied for Soldiers:
Tales of Nalor Thrilling

tAtt Ssh AtkVA tHkhHRA
A long string of hmousines lined
River Street, Hoboken. yesterday In
them we're women from Manhattan and
wealthy colonies OF New Jersey When
noon came they opened picnic boxes
and munchcd sandwiches and other deli
cacies Not until dusk were they gone
not until two great naval transports
had docked az the army piers with
neatly 5000 returning war heroes; not
until they had hurled great baskets of
fruits and candies over the steel rails
behind which they were lined.
1t was while they were in the midst
of their final MONDAY course and ther-
mos bottles clicked against coffee cups
that the transport Henry Il. Mallory,
with 1,s61 troops, docked at Pier ..
Men began to file N from the pier, and
the women left their lmousines to
swarm over the cobbles with baskets Of
goodies and to load down the smiling.
happy soldiers.
When they heard that in short time
the Manchuria, with 4.161 more heroes,
would dock, scores OF chauffeurs bought
out the fruit and candy stores in the
district. 1t was an innovation in the
way Of a welcome, and River Street,
Hoboken. never before had seen such
prosperity.
1900 Wounded Return
On the two ships were nearly 1900
wounded The others were sent at once
in special trains to Camp Merritt.
Stirring scenes followed the arrival
OF the ships. The Manchuria carried
hundreds of the 3lst (DiXie) Division.
When they heard the band play
"Dixie" they howled with glee, SO that
every one in the ile-square-city" OF
Hoboken knew they had as their guests
heroes from over the Mason-Dixon line.
Stories of adventures with U-boats,
OF heroism on the battlefields, told by
men who wear such medals as the Croix
de Guerre and the Distinguished Ser
vice Cross and those related by men
VINO have no medals, but whose wounds
prove what is said of them is not fic
ton, were everywhere. Like the men
Oh ali the other returning transports
those aboard the Mallory and the Man
churia each had his own thrilling ex-
perience.
Some had been blinded by mustard
gas; others risked death to offer their
lives that some companion might live,
and still others had courage and daring
as great as any of famous fighters Of
history.
Three heroes of the Old 69th were on
the Manchuria They were Joseph
Drury, Of 2S6 Bedford Avenue, Rich
mond Hill, L. l.; Cornelius Horgan, of
2l3 Thirty-fourth Street, Brooklyn;
and Corporal John j. Casey, of ia
Nineteenth Street, Flushing. L. l. All
were wounded, Casey three times.
Four of the most heroic stowaways
in captivity were discovered when the
Manchuria was only day out of
Brest. They were veteran flying off,
GERS Of the American army. One was
captain, the others lieutenants. One
wore decoration for gallantry in the
air When they were discovered they
made a joke of it. Their only excuse
was that the war was over and they
wanted to get home again.
Trying Observation Work
Lieutenant H. r. Garsde, OF 32l
West Tooth Street, member oil the
First Aero Squadron, wore the French
War Cross. He would say nothing OF
1t except that. he had done "some try
ing observation work" Sergeant Ame-
deo Tomassetti, of Rochester, a ma
chine gunner, also wore the Croix de
Guerre, and, besides, had two cita-
tlons But probably the most decorated
hero aboard the ship was Corporal
Herbert Freeman, of Mcntevallo, Ala
Company d, 167th Infantry, who wore
American and French crosses.
Another Manchuria passenger was
Joseph Gosski, fireman, of 307 Ocean
Avenue, Jersey City, who was stationed
on the T. S. S. Westover when she
was torpedoed by a U-boat on July IL
400 miles off st. Nazaire. After four
days in lifeboat Gosskl and hand
ful Of others were rescued by the crew
OF French fishing smack
We were standing aft about
o'clock" he began, when suddenly the
ship began to swerve. We had been
mt amidships on the port side by a
WI PeuO men came SSCOHu ihhPoS'
and our magazine blew up.
Eleven of our men were killed IN
the explosion. 1t was only one oil a
great many sea incidents | saw"
Captain Philip B. Paul, of Boston
who fought as 8 dismounted cavalry
officer at the head of company OF
negroes. returned wearing the Crois
Ge Guerre He said that Captain Johr
L. Prout an old 69th man, was the oni!
other white man in the regiment, an'
Ineiieved that he. too, had won th'
French cross. The decoration came
after Paul and Prout led their reg'
ment against the Germans and pushet
them over the Belgian line.
Brgadier Generals John L. Hayden
26th Brigade, and Brigadier Genera
robert K. Steiner, 62d Brigade. artil
'efy officers, returned on the ship.
Bible Saves Soldier
Earl House never cared much abou
SSnurch when he was home in Caldwell
mont He "worked out" most OF tn
slme and went to whatever church tn
.1am'ly attel dcd. 1t was only the righ
'ning to do, he often said to himself.
lew months after the United State
entered the war Earl House-big, rosy
sneekcd country boy-jumped into tn
ranks of the 359th Infantry, and as tn
reE'ment marched out of town tn