Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-16
RED CROSS XMAS roll CALL
MASS MEETING SUNDAY EVE.
At City Hall Draws Large Audience and the
Speakers of the Evening, "Shellproof'' Mack
and Rev. Henry E. Dunnack, Arouse Great
Enthusiasm-Roll Call Begins Today

EnthuSlaSm-ROll &
+, Told in a straightforward manner
and in the simplest way, the story
that "ShellpIoo Mack brought. to
the people Of Augusta At the Red
! Cross mass meeting sunday evening
at City hail reached the heart of
every person. Both in attendance and
enthusiasm the meeting was a great
| success the large auditorium was
| filled to the doors and the two speak
ers of the evening, "Shellproof' Mack
and Rev. Henry z. Dunnack, kept the
/ audience intensely interested every
moment.
"Shellrhoof'' Mack, who gave the
f! principal address OF the evening. is
| indeed a remarkable speaker and he
| told in an entertaining and dramatic
fashion the story of his experiences in
| the English army at the front with a
| plea for the Red Cross. Rev. MIR.
| Dunnack. always a forceful and in
| terestins speaker, spoke upon The
! Red Cross Christmas Message" and
! told of the great need of the Red
. Cross Christmas roll call which opens
! today. The meeting was presided over
! by Hon. Blaine S. Viles, cha irman of
! the Augusta Chapter. Music for the
| rally was furnished by the Togus
/ band.
| The hall was very tastefully dec
Grated for the rally with American
! flags, Ped Cross flags, and streamers
of red and white. The ushers at the
meeting We're: Mrs. Sewall Webster,
/ Mrs. G. Cony Weston. and Misses
! Blanche Webster Hnlda Sewall and
! Emily Stinson in uniform Of the Red
+, Cross Canteen service.
! The meeting was opened with
prayer by Rev. w. ]. Layton. Mr..
Niles then introduced the first speak
Ell OF the evening, "Shellproof' Mack
! who was given Il rising ovation. In
| beginning his talk he stated that al
! though he was wearing (, uniform OF
tn English army lie is not an Eng
| lishman but an American. soon afte"
the sinking .uf the L,sitania he had
felt the call for duty and had worked
his way to England on a hocseboat.
His explanation of the difficulties
he experienced in enlisting proved
amusing to his listeners. When he ar
rived at d recruiting station in Lon
don he replied to a query regarding
| his birthplace, New York, Sir" You
| were born in Ireland, do you hear"
the recruiting officer shot back at
him. He heard and was sworn in,
| And when he finally got his discharge
papers he had a hard time convincing
his superiors that he was really an
| American and that he desired his
passport papers to return tc the
States.
In expIa ming the incident which led
10 his receiving the nickname of Shell
proof he related the d-tails of how ne
had been buried along with four others
when a she'll struck in the neighbor-
hood Three OF his companions were
| killed and the fourth lost his sight. An
other shell. following Immediately in its
! wake. acted like a gigantic steam shovel
and unbur.cd him from the wreckage of
the first explosion. His miraculous eS-
cape earaed him the title that he now
! bears
Another incident which seems to bear
! out his apparent immunity from any IA
tai contact with shells. was at the time
/ that he was rendered unconscious when
a piece of shrapnel struck him i'll the
head. a delicate operation was per-
, formed and as a result Of the wound he
now wears a silver plate in his head as
a substitute for piece of his skull that
was removed. At another time his right
shoulder was shattered by a shell.
The journey TO the very front line
| trenches was described by the speaker.
When the men arrived there they found
that in front Of them were the Prussian
Guards. in which company men under
/ SIX feet in height were not allowed as
members The English company had
arrived there shortly before Christmas
ana for fe wdays it was comparative
~ quiet. but on Christmas eve they got
their Christmas presents The pres
ents were the bomba rdments which had
buried him and his companions ana
, from which he SO mira culously escaped.
The company of men had suffered so
from the bomba rdment that they were
| relieved and sent to the support trench,
directly behind the front trench. There
he had passed Christmas day and had
! eaten his Christmas dinner of bully
! beer stew and pudding.
, Not long afterwards he had had his
! first experience of going over the top.
! The plan had been CAREFUL rehearse
and the men had been told that they
| would pass by white chateau which
had been used by the Germans az Il
Red Cross hospital. and that they were
of course. not to fire upon that chateau
But when they arrived at the chateau
from every window came a bomba rd-
ment Of machine gun bullets. The Ger
! mars had played low down trick by
flying the Red Cross flag over build
ing which they were not using as a hos
pital but rather as a sgt of fort The
English attacked the building and ha
their revenge on the Germans, killing a
4, large number.
] In n trench at the very front the
attack of the Germans became so
heavy that the English were obliged
to retire to the support trench. Out
of 700 men only % We're left, but
| with reenforcements they recap
tured the front trench before they
were relieved.
! AS the result Of the wounds Shell
: proof" Mack had received in the
j front line trenches and on his way
/ back through No Mans Land. he had
| become unconscious and had re-
manned in that condition for several
hours When h. came to. he found
himself in a base hospital He had