Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-22

sage on It,
Just as we were leaving Rotter-
dam, the boat l was on rammed our
own convoy, one of the destroyers,
and injured it so badly that it had to
put back to port. 1t would have been
strange climax to my adventure if
the disaster had resulted in the sink
ing of my boat and l had lost my life
while on my way to England after
Having successfully outwitting the
Huns.
But my luck was with me to the
last, and while the accident resulted
in some delay our boat was not Sc
riously damaged and made the trip
over IN schedule time and without
further incident, another destroyer
having been assigned to escort us
through the danger zone in place of
the one which we had put out of
commission.
When l arrived in London the re-
action from the strain | had been un-
der for nearly three months imme-
diately became apparent. My nerves
were in such a state that it was alb
solutely impossible for me to cross
the street without being in deadly
fear of being run over or trampled
on,
l stood at the curb, like an old
woman from the country on her first
visit to the city and / would not ven-
ture across until some knowing po-
liceman, recognizing my condition,
came to my assistance and conveyed
me across.
Indeed, there is a great number of
English officers at home at all times
getting back their nerves" after a
long spell of active service at the
front S0 that INV condition was any-
thing but novel to the London bob
bies.
1t was not many days, however,
before l regained control of myself
and felt in first-class shape.
Sends a Cable to Mother
Although the British authorities in
Holland had wired my mother from
Holland that l was safe and on my
way to England, the first thing l did
when we landed was to send her a
cable myself.
The cable read as follows;
Mrs. M. ]. O'Brien, Momence, ILL.,,
U. S. A.:
Just escaped from Germany. Let
ter follows"
AS 1 delivered it to the cable dis
patcher 1 could just imagine the ex-
ultation with which my mother
NOulb iCtClNC IL NllS pIluS SilC
would feel as she exhibited it among
her neighbors and friends.
l could hear the volley of 81 told
you SOS" that greeted her good It'd
ings.
1T would take more than the
Kaiser to KEEP Pat in Germany" /
could hear one of them saying.
Knew he'd be back for Christmas
anyway" 1 could hear another re-
mark.
81 had an idea that Pat and his
comrades might spend Christmas in
Berlin" | could hear another admit
ting, but I didn't think any other
part of Germany would appeal to
him very much"
MRS. O'Brien, did Pat write you
how many German prisoners he
brought back with him." l could
hear still another credulous friend
inquiring.
1t was all very amusing and graft
flying to me and 1 must confess L felt
quite cocky as l walked into the
War Department to report.
For the next five days l was kept
very busy answering questions put
to me by the military authorities
regarding what l had observed as to
conditions in Germany and behind
the lines.
What l reported was taken down
by a stenographer and made part of
the official records, but l didn't
give them my story in narrative
form. The information l was able to
give was naturally of interest to var
ious branches of the service, and
experts in every line of government
work took 1t in turns to question me.
One morning would be devoted, for
instance, to answering questions of