The sun., 1918-12-11
O'RYAN'S ROUGH
NECKS DEMAND
HAM AND EGGS
Transport Empress of Brit
ain Welcomed With
Noise and Smokes.
TELL OF KENNEL FIGHT
Brooklyn Fighters Declare 1t
Was Fiercest Battle Of
the Whole War.

Wounded and gassed men OF
oRyan's division, New York's own
rrenty-seventh, were aboard the
transport Empress Of Britain, the only
trccpship that arrived, yesterday. The
Kroonland loomed through the shad-
ovs Of Quarantine at nighfall, but
will not be at her Hoboken dock until
about A. NJ to-day.
A feet Of transports was due yes
terday, but none except the Empress
az Britain in the morning and the
Kroonland in the evening walked into
port. Bad weather is the answer, the
neanest weather in twenty years, Did
timers maintain. Among the ships
loaded with troops that should be here
to-day are the Adriatic, Siamese
Prince, Dochra, Mercy. Susequehanna,
oregonian and the Tenadores. carrying
about 10000 men, including nearly
1000 wounded.
They are sending the wounded homo
IN returning convalescents. There
were 500 on board the Empress, 500
stout fellows who had fought side by
side with the Australians in front OF
st. Quentin and later helped smash the
Hindenburg line. How they praised
those Australians! Every American
soldier who talked about the Kanga-
roos says that they are the gosh darn
dest fighters that ever cut loose.
Glad TO Get Back to Brooklyn. =
Among the wounded were veterans
Of the Twenty-seventh. Thirtieth and
Thirty seventh divisions, many OF
whom live in Brooklyn and seemed
curiously pleased to get back there.
The rest OF the Empress's contingent,
which numbers 76 officers and 2,372
men, came mostly from English train
ing camps-aviator chaps as Johnny
Bull says-and they haven't yet re-
covered from their disappointment
that they had no chance to take q
slam at the Germans. What's more,
they never will get over 1t.
The Empress slid up the bay in the
middle OF the morning, her crowded
decks tossing light hearted badinage
at dignified persons in tail coats.
Lanky lads, still pale from the long
Inactivity Of hospitals. leaned over the
rail and hollered for ham and eggs
and beer. II must be stated here and
now that the American Army demands
ham and eggs as its favorite fruit It
came home hoping for ham and eggs
and if the people really desire to touch
the hearts Of the heroes ham and eggs
should be dished up in mountainous
quantities. Mutton is out. The mere
sight OF mutton simply ruins the dis
positions Of the sweetest tempered
soldier. For nine months the British
people have been examining them with
mutton and sluicing down the sheep
with tea
They yelped for ham and eggs all
the way up the bay, and various dig
nitaries, including Rodman Wanna
maker, special Deputy Police Com
missioner, promised them ham and
eggs. They desired to know II New
York had been captured by the drys.
md when somebody aboard the police
yacht Patrol, which met the Empress
OF Tompkinsville. yelled mol" great
cheer went up. Then they caught
eight Of women in police uniforms-or
rather f1xings intended TO look like a
~oman's idea OF what a policeman's
Uniform ought to look like. Fifteen OF
these ladies' were yachting on the Pa
tcol yesterday morning.
Plenty of Noise for Them.
Ny Gawd, Mike" yelled a buck
private that dangled over the rail-
my Gawd! We gotta be good now!"
All New York. or what they could
sec OF It. looked good TO those lads
70 whom fate has been so kind. They
canned the decks as the ship doomed
a.ong up the bay past the Statue OF
Liberty and the Battery and so up
me North River. cheering everything
u sight. and as with every incoming
transport there was din OF whistling
tAat hurt eardrums. Again the big
police siren. screaming like a demon
~ anguish, led the frightful chorus,
"Alca lasted for ten minutes. The
Boys seemed TO like II.
without delay or friction the EN-
press OF Britain was locked at Pier 81
ma the men were promptly disem-
parked. In two hours or so they had
Teen checked up by their commanding
Sihcers and by the stan of Gen. George
H. McManus. commanding the port
OF emoarkatlon, and had been sent on
the'r way to the rehabilitation camp,
lamp Mills. But before they went
."ey were made much Of by the Red
Gross girls and they received handfuls
o. cigarettes.
The Patrol took 10000 cigarettes
Gown the bay TO put aboard the EN-
press. but the wind was go strong and
Ehe sea 30 choppy that nobody dared
1Ae the risk OF climbing a ladder
tEotn the deck Of the bobblng, bounc-
"g little boat to the rail Of the SLOWLY
r'.l!hs big one. The rungs of the
lanuer were incrusted with fee and
one slip would have meant a bath In
WAFER as cold as that which laves the
iee' or Greenland's Icy mountains Be-
slaes lot OF official scenery, Brook
'yN nattiest, would have been ruined.
so the cigarettes were carried back
70 town and served at the dock. every
,Au getting a big bunch. They also
.su all they wanted OF sandwiches.
ao' CORE pie, cake and other goodies.
HHtton was not offered.
Informal. but ExcusabIe.
On, we we're all shot TO hell by the
IeTnans,' he said with the directness
ol his breed, but what do we carr?
W. came out on top-alive."