Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-12
PHILA. YOUTH WRITES
OF PERILS IN FRANCE
Romeo Martell Has Thrilling
Experiences at Front as
Ambulance Driver

Eumro g. Martcll. son Ut AIRS, y
Victor Nlart-U. 1890 North Broad street.
ian American Rcd Cross ambulance
driver, in two or three recent letters |"
cti,uds and relatives here tells Of mar
row c,/pr from las. Of attending
Clristrhqs mass IN Il church under a
hill while the Germans shcll"d the
church" aud cf eating Christmas am
ncr tn the music Of the German hig'Gun
orchestra
MIR. Nartcll. who is widely known here
FOR having made some daring rcsru"s
nf buth,r- At Atlantic city last sum
nci. a year ago and as II swimmer an"
as Il football player at Brown irrp,
enlisted in the American Red cross lHSi
Nal ana went to Allentown for Few
weeks training. lie sailed with his soc
tiou for France carly in August ON tn"
D ill-fat"d Antilles. which waS suuk 10y u
submarine ON her return voyage. lie
has been driving for the French army
virtually all of the time since h" went
to France,
Ia his letters he tells of methods used
/ in removing the French wounded and
T the FRENCH troops with trench feet to
/ 'hc hospitals in the rear. Speaking "f
/ his christmas EV" cNpcri' nc. he q 'NS;
CHRISTMAS AT FRONT
II viii tell you the story told mother
about our christmas Eve experiences.
I'p at our foremost post thrt" was going
10 hr a mass for the French officers. ana
our lieutenant was invited. Knowing !
was Il catholic. the only one IN the SEC
ton at pre- sent he told me ! might ="
with him. At 10 O'Clock on christmas
Eve We went twenty hilomcicrS, twelve
and uuc-har miles. in % suoWstorm. up
81. Ia, W. had To SS
Death Valley --- had passed it several
times before. We rode in the lieuten-
ants staff ear ana arrived safely. The
mss was the most remarkable service
have seen in the batllo zone. Mtri
mass we had hot chocolate and toast
md compliments in tin cups. lhtlt
we're seven French lirutcuants. three
French CAPTAINS. two majors aud one
colonel. our american lieutenant ANA
myself"
lie then tells of having been requested
tn sing having in Il previous letter tolu
Of singing for the French soldiers where
his ambulance unit was located shorty
before christmas.
at 2:30 o'clock" his letter continues
..yn were lust four ljl"m"trrS away
from the church when the chaun"ur lei
over We had run into cloud "i gas
YOU nave ltdV tl lli' t'N ''''''''N'' -
States often, | was riding in the hach
of the car with the lieutenant W.
both pu, our gas masks ON IN time an'
lurri,dly put ono on tn" driver also
While tho lieutenant who is Il doctor
/ gave the chauffeur attention drove llKt
{ mad to "A hospital. lie rcgaincd con
. ..ciouSu"S@ soon after We arrived ant
will lac -. Is in Il day or 50. II was
a narrow escape. W" cannot under
stand how it wa' that he was 'gasSed
before we detected the gas. BY th'
way. our gas masks are wonderful W.
arrived at the barracks about "'cl"cl
a. m"
AN rNBEI;GEDuNp CliURtH
I'm another letter he said the "hurc
was in an underground paSSag" in III
side of hill. which was shcll"d durin
the ceremony 10y tn" Germans, He com
mpntcd especially upon the novelty 4
attending mass while the church vi,
under shell fire from the enemy. lie ais
, said his unit spent Christmas Day in tn
5 barracks with German shells flying over
. head at the French communication line
= all day. lie added the unit had a spler
5 did dinner. but did not mention I'll
, menu. Speaking in another letter, Il
L told of attending French opera in Par
, | whcr. he asserted the costumes woi
i wonderful. three of them being abot
suiicip Mt to make one such as are wor
10 on the American operate stage" Cab
DeslyS was appearing in Paris at ii
time lie heard several operas whic
have been presented in Philadelphi
time and again. About the only plac
I along The battlefront he mentions u
IL, N.rl,,,, ,,-b, I,, I.