The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-05
WARS SHADOW
IS SEEN AS CITY
GREETS TROOPS
Blind Lad, Whistling Mer-
rily, Among LegiOns
Welcomed Home.
popEN THE TOWN." rs CRY
Lspland and Minnekahda
Bring 5000 Into Joyous
Din Here.

The homecoming Of American SOL
alsrs is not altogether a celebration
Of clustering sirens. plug hats. free
Cigarettes, sandwiches and brass
hands. There is sadness In 1t indel-
rbly. There is also apparent the in
yincible courage Of souls that mutt
htion or blindness cannot break down.
Over the gangplank Of the transport
Iapland, as she bulked against Pier
90 at the foot of West Nineteenth
street yesterday morning, there walked
With the careful precision of the
newly blind a young man whose chin
WIS up and who smiled as IL the world
we're his oyster. A sailor followed him
closely with hands eloQuently out
stretched, ready indeed to support the
blind soldier II he should totter. But
the youngster never faltered. Pres
entity he was led to talk just a little
about himself as the great STIR of
Standardization commenced.
Smiles at Misfortune.
HIS name Is Leo -. MCMdIlhn anu
hs lives in Detroit. Last June he was
aboard the British hospital ship Vic
tory when the gallant U-boats scored
Characteristic triumph. Escaping
that horror he served with the Royal
Medical Corps in France and was
Rassed three times. The last misfor-
tune cast him into the darkness. He
came aboard the Lapland without a
friend and without a cent in his
pockets.
Sailors, out Of their natural kindness
II heart, gave him a hand UP from
time to time as the Lapland fought
her way through twelve days Of saw
age North Atlantic winter. And all
Of the time, so others say. young Nc
Mahan smiled and sang songs and
made jokes and kidded the "gobs''
that were looking after him. There
isn't much more to be said about one
Of this breed, except the little he cared
to say himself.
NE? ! went into the war without
dollar and naturally I come out no
John D. Some capitalists on the trans
port put thirty bucks into my pocket
one night when I was asleep and
couldn't give 1t back because no one
would own up to the misdemeanor.
Well, J can use II. But, son, get me
right I'm not grouching. I'm full OF
pep. Me for Detroit, my girl and
whatever le bon Dieu Gas we say in
them languages) has in store for me"
II was at this moment that a young
medical officer. detaching himself from
The throng OF soldiers now crowding
The White Star pier. approached the
Young man whose eyes were hidden
behind a black bandage and laid a
gentle hand upon his shoulder.
You come with me. my boy" said
the Lieutenant We've arranged to
take care OF you in hospital for a
while and then get you back to De-
troit. So that's all right"
"Tipperary" Greets Welcome.
They disappeared, the blind soldier
whistling "Tipperary," which the SOL
diers were beginning to roar with i'm
mense spirit, and the vast crowd swal-
lowed them. Somehow the crowdine
episodes of the decentralization OF
nearly 1000 lads from British training
camps for air service seemed dull and
!nconsequential enough after young
McMahan had removed the inspiration
Of his indomitable spirit.
II was a hard trip, a rough trip, tina,
The big liner ended early YESTERDAY
morning within the tranquil waters OF
he harbor. For n dozen days gales
mad made a test of her speed and size
and the doctors in the sick bays and
The wards for the. wounded showed
grim faces at their work. Pretty
nearly everybody, even hardened sea
dogs, paid tribute after the immemorial
custom to Neptune. Her tall sides
srotesquely camoufiaged in patterns
Tesemblipg nothing so much as the
ray quilts that our grandmothers
used to stitch with such pride, the
lapland passed through Quarantine In
The dawn and presently found herself
he target of terrific din. Big and
little boats played around her like por.
polses around a whale. At about halt
past 8 o'clock the police yacht Patrol
carrying the Mayors committee
reached her side and one in a tall hat
nailed the American Army:
What can we do for your"
"open Up the Towns
The reply came back in a roar that
nuttered the signal flags;
Open up the town."
The decks and the rails OF the trans
port were jammed with troops, al
Eager eyed and full OF devilment
'ongues wagging sixty to the minute
erazy for news, hungry for smokes
Inc Patrol was extensively cargoed
With cigarettes, and for a quarter OF
an hour Deputy Police Commissioner
Hodman Wanamaker and John A
Harriss chucked packages of ciga-
rettes aboard, while Commissioners
Hird S. Coler, especially anxious to
sreet his nephew, Capt Eugene Seeley
Soler. bombarded the decks with par
'es OF candy and chocolate. Then the
committee boarded the transport and
were introduced to the skipper Com
mander ]. Bradshaw of the British
navy. his officers and the officers OF
The American troops.
The next boat to side alongside the
Lapland was the fireboat George b
Mcclellan. which was interesting be-
,ause the gentleman for whom the
BOAT was named was a passenger
Aeut.-Col. George b. Mcclellan OF the
american Army, returning from
special duty in France. In a little
while the fireboat Thomas Willett
loned the Mcclellan and presently a,
ne Lapland got under way ant
eeaded past the Battery and up the
North River gave a unique exhibition