Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-12-23
Y NAN WRITES ||' ] s
FROM FRANCE
Frank Jacks Writes Inter-
esting Letter to His
Father, Geo. S.
Jacks, Here.
TELLS OF HIS WORK
Writes Of Trip Over and the
Work the Men are
Doing.

November d, 191S.-Dear Dad: To.
day is dads letter day" in the A. D.
r., SO am going to write you real let.
ter. left home August 6 and spent
four weeks in Chicago where we were
taught all kinds of games to use for
the soldiers. Then the Sth Of Septem-
Der l left for New York and spent a
q week there waiting for a boat and also
learning more. We left New York on
the Hudson river boat landing at Al
bany the morning of September is.
Left there by special train for. Quebec
ut which point we arrived in a rain
about II 30. The ride to Quebec was
beautiful along Lake Champlaine and
we had a day there on shore. We left
Friday about noon on the Corinthic. a
British boat of 1860 tons. We
steamed down the st. Lawrence all
that day and until midnight when we
anchored off the mount to wait for
some more boats from New York. They
arrived and in due time we started on
our long trip. We kept going north
until we passed through the strait of
Belle Isle. Here we passed immense
icebergs and almost ran into one at
night. We had a British cruiser as
leader Of the convoy and torpedo boat
destrOyers as conveys for a cc"ole Of
days. Every vessel was armed with
guns on each end with gunners at them
day and night, even having their meals
carried to them.
Sixteen Vessels.
Our convoy consisted of sixteen
large vessels, and as soon as the sun
set, all lights were out inside the boat
and all port holes battened down so
none would show outside.
We had the boat all to ourselves
IA ~" men and 80 ~ women. We
had an entertainment every night.
Each person on board had life pre-
server which he carried, or wore, every
place he went. We had life boat drill
and military drill and gave our COM
pany calesthenics every morning.
The ''Y' men were divided into
squads of eight and these eight men
were on submarine watch every hour,
day and might've hours on and four
off. was selected for trigger man.
(The trigger men are first in the life
boats and release the trigger that cuts
the boat from the block and tackle that
lowers it and you must not cut it too
soon or too late) AS they said they
were selecting men with nerve and
judgment, l felt flattered, but the best
part was that they would not let me
stand submarine watch as must be
free to take the boat in case of alarm
without neglecting the watch.
1t was very cold up north and we
wore socks and sweaters, heavy under
wear and overcoats were none too
warm. l told the crowd few stories
one night and then spelled the Bundle
Bee for them.
Trip Across.
4 We steamed steadily on our course
until about three days out from Liver
pool when sub was reported ten miles
away and we turned off our course and
then took it up again. A wireless
message said our convoy in would meet
us at o'clock the next morning and
at $50 they came over the horizon,
about eight destroyers flying U. S.
flags. They worked about us, in and
out, front and back, like bird dog
after a quail and all the time we plow
ed along at eleven or twelve knots. |
Then Off the Irish coast two aerOplanes