The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-10-10

back to port. II would have been a
strange climax to my adventure II the
disaster had resulted In the sinking
of my boat and I had lost my life
while on my way to England after
having successfully outwltted the
Huns. But my luck was with me to
the last, and while the accident re-
suited In some delay our boat was not
seriously damaged and made the trip
over in schedule time and without fur
ther accident, another destroyer hav-
Ing been assigned to escort us through
the danger zone in place Of the one
which had been put out Of commits
sion.
When ! arrived In London, the re-
action from the strain l had been
under for nearly three months imme-
diately became apparent. My nerves
were I'm such a state that It was abso-
lutely impossible for me to cross the
street without being In deadly fear
OF being run over or trampled. stood
at the curb, like an old woman from
the country on her first visit to the
city. and / would not venture across
until some knowing policeman, recog-
nizlng my condition, came to my as
sistance and conveyed me across.
Indeed. there was great number OF
English officers at home at all times
getting back their nerves" after
long spell Of active service at the
front, so that my condition was any
thing but novel to the London bob
bies.
1t was not many days. however, be-
fore regalned control of myself and
felt In first-class shape.
Although the British authorities In
Holland had wired my mother from
Holland that was safe and on my
way to England, the first thing l did
when we landed was to send her q
cable myself.
The cable read as follows:
"Mrs. M. j. O'Brien, Momence, ILL.,, U.
S. A.
"Just escaped from Germany. Let
ter follows"
AS | delivered 1t to the cable dis
patcher | could Just imagine the ex-
utatlon with which my mother would
receive 1t and the pride she would
feel us she exhibited 1t among her
neighbors and friends.
could hear the volley Of II told
you SOS" that greeted her good It'd
ings.
"It would take more than the kaiser
to keep Pat In Germany" l could hear
one of them saying.
"Knew he'd be back for Christmas,
anyway" | could hear another re-
mark.
~ had an Idea that Pat and his
comrades might spend Christmas In
Berlin" | could hear another admit
ting, "but | did not think any Other
part of Germany would appeal to hin
very much.'
Mrs. O'Brlen, did Pat write you
how many German prisoners he
brought back with himf" could heal
still another credulous friend inQuir
Ing.
1t was all very amusing and graft
flying to me and l must confess fell
quite cocky as l walked into the wal
department to report.
For the next five days | was kept
very busy answering questions put tt
me by the military authorities regard
ing what | had observed as to condi
tons In Germany and behind the lines
What | reported was taken dowr
by stenographer and made part ol
the official records, but ! did not give
them my story In narrative form. The
information l was able to give was
r naturally Of Interest to various
branches Of the service, and experts
r in every line of government work tool
, It In turns to question me. One morn
/. Ing would be devoted, for instance
| to answering questions of militar,
!. nature-German methods behind thu
, front line trenches. tactics, morale o.
troops and similar matters. Then th'
aviation experts would take whacl
at me and discuss with me all hat
: observed Of German flying corp!
!. methods and equipment. Then. again
| the food experts would interrogat'
. me as to what ! had learned Of foot
conditions In Germany, Luxembourg
: and Belgium. and rs had lived prett!
|, close to the ground for the best par
: of seventy-two days was able to giv'
! them some fairly accurate reports a
5 to actual agricultural conditions
!, many of the things | told them prob
3 ably having more Significance to then
r than they had to me.
4 There were many things / had OBJ
, served which have not referred to II
these pages because their value to III
: might be diminished II the German!
knew we were aware of them, bu
0 they were all reported to the authori
Q ties and 1t was very gratifying to M
: to hear that the experts considered
5 some of them of the greatest value.
| One OF the most amusing incidents
Of my return occurred when called a
/, my bankers In London to get my per