Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-27
BILL" BRADFO ON
SHIP ATTACKED BY
GERMAN U-B0ATS.
OTTAWA BOY WRITES GRAPHIC
ALLY OF EXPERIENCES ON LIN.
Err DURING ATTEMPTS OF SUB
TO SINK IT.

Attacked by submarines and man,
%her thrilling experiences from =
pad storm which washed away the lif,
boats TO Il battle with six inch pnn,
hred from ono Of the guns of ar
+ American transport, are some of tn,
'hlngs told of in the following letter
IRON William Bradford to his brother
Freeman.
Inc letter arrived in Ottawa yester
/ day written in Tours, France. on sNay
~, almost three months after vii
liam Bradford had arrived in France
one week after the strict censonship
rad been lifted from the American
Doys letters, making il possible for
nm to write the details of his yo,
age for the first time since his A,
rival.
Tours. France. May 20, 1918.
Dear Freeman.
| received your letter of Anril 20
ana believe me was sure glad to
Near from YOU Your letter was very
interesting and contained Just the
KIND Of home news that am hun
cry for Your information about BucI
answered question that has Ions
troubled me. i would be great If
oy some chance we could meet over
lere. as you said
fou can tell dad for me that as D
suesser OF location he ID A No. I, as
ne got me spotted exactly That was
my idea in writing the history of the
oid chateau SO elaborately, so that he
would get out French history anC
o0k It up and in that way locate me-
But only last week the strict censor
snip was abolished and we can inform
the folks at home of our wherea bouts
which helps some.
AT present | am still in the hospita
At Tours, Tours is some place II Is
snoWn as a second Paris, that Is 70,
oe'ng alive It is very pretty
CITY situated on the banks of the Loire
river tas is Blois also) and If T.
mighty pretty along this river. The
prlhclpAl object OF interest is Il bic
cathedral, which dates back severa
hundred years and is connected with
trench history through Joan of Are
III some way or other. Just as soon
as ! get out of the hospital. am 20
ng to take a rip through that church
and lind out all about it. viii write
more fully about 1t then. am also
going to buy a French history On
Engish) and brush up a little on IT,
Tell dad that will send those postals
lust as soon as get back TO camp
Then all of you can see what these
places | have been trying to describe
really look like.
As long as the ban has been lifted
| viii tell You a little of my trim
across. You know the date (mother's
birthday and place of embarkation
we got on the boat at about 10 am
and that night pulled out into he
narbor, where we lay for couple Of
days Went to bed the second night
while we were at anchor and when
woke up next morning we were at
sea, The second day on. We ran iutc
a beautiful storm (waves highery than
the Central Life building, at ltast
that's the way they looked 20 mel
Every wave washed over the deck un.
III II wasn't safe up on deck even for
the hearty ones, but YOU can believe
me your brother. William, didn't stay
up on deck until the waves started
breaking. Quite to the contrary
went below to my nice downy bunk
from which | did not SIR until the
storm abated ,soafaring stuff, hat
word "abated'0. In other words,
didn't get up for - hours. Oh boy, she
was a bird and ! was a sick woman,
but am proud of the fact that did1i't
lose my lunch once all the way over
| guess felt the way dad did when
he took his trip on the Pacific when
he said the first day he was afraid the
boat would sink and the next day he
was afraid it wouldn't After The
storm. things were lovely although
we had another before the trip was
over, but got by fine during the
second storm In Fact. | rather on
joyed 1t. A storm AT sea is wonder
fnl sight and the way that old boat
would pitch and roll' (More sea
STUN. However. as ! said before.
got by like an old salt We only
got two meals day while at sea for