Evening journal., 1918-05-03
special to THE EVENING JOURNAL

NEWARK. May s.--Mrs. Rebecca A
Wilson. Of East Main street has re
oeived an interesting letter from her
grandson, Lieutenant James a. 0Daniel
telling OF his experiences on his trip
France. Lieutenant O'Daniel Is a
ner Delaware College student and
ie attending college made his home
q bis grandmother.
Lieutenant QDaniel was a corporal
In Company E. National Guard Of Della
ware when the Delaware soldiers were
on the Mexican border After return
ing to Newark with his company and
before going 10 Camp Mcclellan he was
appointed a lieutenant. He remained
at Camp Mcclellan for some weeks with
the Delaware contingent and was then
assigned 10 the aviation section Of the
army and trained for several months as
an observer He sailed for France in
March where he arrived safe early 10
April A brother. J. Wilson ODaniel,
also q former Delaware College student
won a commission at the Oflcers' Train
ing Camp and he is also now IN France
Lieutenant ODaniels letter TO his
grandmother is IN the form OF a diary
and is dated "A River in France, April
A." and follows:
"Dear Grandma
'Well, as this is my last day on the
water ! had better begin TO write my
little diary which have kept from
day TO day.
Thursday, March 81
Arrived at the pier al 9 a. m. and
boarded the boat at 80 The minute
that we left the dock and touched the
deck that meant that we could not go
OF again. We were then assigned "a
staierooms AS there were only three
} OF Us Austin boys on beard, and In facl
The only three out of The % who gol
the orders and transportation to France
ct once VIII explain That later MY
: bunkie's name is Paul. and he has prov
en- TO be about the best scout on the
boat His mothers name was O'Danie
and he looks quite a bit like me Hao
the lights on tonight but this viii be
the last night, between sunset and sun
rise that we will have them until we
reach port Have had dinner and sup
per on shipboard and they were pretty
good. There are two lieulenants to a
staieroom.
Friday, March q
"Hoorayl We left the dock at 2 D. m
At about t.50 call to quarters sounded
and everyone had TO leave the deck
An officer summoned US 90 assemble in
the library and read 10 us the rules
and regulation Of the transport on
GERS were put inN charge Of lookout
posts and also assigned TO the crow
nest So far ] have missed all o. them
No one realized at FIRST the purpose OF
the meeting which was 10 bnng US OF
81 n.Ir ..N afa.IaI
Of New York All OF a sudden everyone
seemed to realize the meaning Of IL
that we were at last leaving the dock
And, the feeling that came over me
as well as everyone else, ] guess. is at
terly impossible 20 describe. With m'
IL was a feeling OF JOY that / was a
last on my way TO France and the re
verse that / was leaving the old Unitel
States and everyone dear TO me. tn
iights went out at sunset and Of .cours
we were not allowed TO smoke on decl
Ne have 20 go through this every da,
At the present minute we are anchore
In the harbor awaiting the other trans
port ship that Is to 80 along with u
We viii probably set out TO sea earl
IN the morning.
Saturday, March %.
We'll we are at last on the ocesl
We left the bay this morning at g.;
o'clock, so when I awoke az ten o'cloc
we were in the Atlantic. At A o'cloc
we were assigned 10 life boats Thel
were about 60 10 a boat. We have III
drills two or three times a day Ha
movies this evening after supper, ais
band music and singing furnished b
the Y. NJ. G. A. men In charge OF amusi
menis on the transport. Had a pretl
good picture. show. l sat in the dlnin
saloon and read a book until ~ o'cloc
] thought that I was standing on m
head, but It did not get me down tn
funniest experience is six meals da
three up and three down. Some ha'
had many already"
Sunday, March "a.
Il awoke this morning rocking fro
side 10 side in my bunk. ] took a HI
salt water sea bath. shower and s
felt little better. / then went to II
promenade deck where the major II
formed me that I was to 80 In the lool
out tonight IN the Crows nest We
have finished my first watch and fe
much better that Il Is over. Il seen
that It has cleared my head up, S
maybe ] will not be seasick I 80 o
again from to 4 a. m. There are tw
crows nests to this boat, one fore an
one aft and are about 100 feet from th
deck. Have 30 climb a rope ladder {
get there. was a little bit shaky a
tlrst about going up but Ike it now.
Monday, March ..
Just finished breakfast after my sec
nnd watch, The time changed one hou
y1nring the night It changes i've hour
on the way over Did not 80 back {
bed Had breakfast, took a bath, shave
and went to bed until 3 o'clock, jus
IN time 20 miss a boat drill. I 20 o.
watch again tonight from 70 TO 9 an
from TO 40. Saw another movie afte
supper. It Is raining hard now an
blowing gale. I have tried about M
teen adiectives to describe the nigh
The waves wash clear over the deck g
you have TO keep on Of It. But CUES
the waves win hardly reach the crow
nest, but It win surely be a perilou
task TO climb the ladder IN such a gal
The wind cuts your face and nearl
blows one of the ladder Well 10
time to so up. Will write the re-
after my time in he'll Is over"
f"Well ] lived through It o. K, al
am here to tell about it. It surely WI