New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-24
SCARS
OVER IN CAMPAIGN
Red Cross Drive Results in Get
ting 2,OO7 New Members
WRITES OF SEA EXPERIENCES

Electrician Judd Has Had Many Ex-
citing Adventures Since Joining the
Navy--Describes Famous CITY of
Brest-Bricf News Items.
REPORTS from the committee here
today show that plamNiIIc has c0ae
over the top in it's Red Cross drive.
The total number Of members is
2,007. That this is a good showing is
indicated when it is realized that the
towns quota was about SO per cent
of the population. In other towas
the quote. was for the most part hard
~ more than so per cent Much
credit is due to the women for put
ung the town over in the hardest
drive it has ever had. The executive
committee was also Instrumental in
the success. The committee wishes
IT. to be Known that the Red Cross
rooms will be closed today, tomor-
row and Thursday and that there will
be no garment work on these days.
Sailor Writes Home
letter has been received by Mrs.
Mary e. WadsWorth from her son,
Barr Judd who accompanied Prcsi-
dent Wilson on his voyage to France.
He is an electrician on a DESTROYER
and writes an interesting description
Of Brest. His letter:
NOV. "a, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Mr.. Ce1sor has lost his job so will
have quite bit Of news. VIII start
at the beginning and try to tell you
some of the sights l have seen. When
leaving Philadelphia thought | was
to be transferred to Gibonev, but
found out later | was only one of So
going for foreign service. We all had
to stand watches looking for subs
and together with the fact that the
ship was more than crowded with
troops made our voyage pretty dun
After ! 3 days of this we sighted
land off the coast Of, France We
found out tina tive were TO 80 TO Bor-
deauX, which is 40 miles inland Oh
the Glronde river. AS our boat was
as large as the river could accomm0-
date it naturally attracted lots Of no.
hce and everywhere the French pco-
pie were Out to greet us. The second
lap of our journey was from Bor-
deauX to Rrest, quite some distance, |
and we had to travel by railroad If
You could see a French railway train |
YOU would not wonder that We did not |
anticipate a pleasant journey. We |
had three special coaches and three
DAYS rations. The journey was very
agreea bic though, as we passed !
through valleys and over mountains |
and saw the most beautiful scenery | |
ever expect to see. After a SO hour |
ride We finally reached Brest at 8 |
p.
There is not much to tell YOU Of !
Brcst, except that the buildings are all |
old and of stone and the streets are |
all of block stone. The trOlleys arc |
the worst conceivable. What would |
you think of having to ride in a troll
ley car that used compressed air for
power and every little way stop for
fresh charge. Some of them have
an automobile motor running a gen |
orator and in this way make their
own power. Brest is big port and
dandy one for war purposes. It is |
land locked and a most wonderful |
harbor. Have been told that Ameri-
cans had to build docks, break
waters and all such things to land |
troops, In a single day as many as
81, 900 troops hav ebeen landed here.
This has been our port whenever we |!
Many boys have spent their earnings !
here for the past two years and they
say that nearly all the people were
wearing wooden shoes when they
came. but only the very poor wear |
them now
The L. s. s. Little is q new type
destroyer built at Fall River. Mass.
and went into commission in April !
1918. 1t is the latest thing in de-
stroyers, having II torpedo tubes
four-inch guns, anti-aircraft guns
and depth bombs Cash cans). 1t is
about 400 feet long, but very narrow.
being only 20 feet wide and tapered to
a cheese knife thickness at the bow
Ash cans are carried in a rack
placed on the stern.
AT present we have about so men
aboard but in peace time it will be
reduced to about one-haIf. There
isn't much that l can tell you about
convoy system until | get back. But
we were at sea almost continuously
until the war ended.
Rene ofoer me to all and kindly
let our nearest and best friends read
this, as it would take mo n month to
couple of clippings from the Paris
edition of the New York Herald Of
things | have taken part in with one
exception, that Of Mount Vernon. Love
to all usual.
LAS ever,
JUDD"
Brief Items.
The christmas oxorrjSrS Of tLo