Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-14

Secteur Postal 1O2,
G. G. %, -.
Sept. s, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Say, don't let me hear you COM
plain anymore that coal is so hard
to get that you must burn wood.
Why, doggone it, l haven't even got
a candle, and it sure is chilly, for to-
day seems to be making up for all
the many clear days we have been
having lately. It's raining some
thing fierce, and for Sunday | have
yet to see one more dreary. Worse
luck, no letters came to-day and the
rain is getting worse. You may well
ask, ''are you downhearted?" and
like so many things | do, the ANS
wer might well surprise you, for the
answer would be decidedly mol"
You see, one of the French pilots
took his permission in English.
o, Glory, a Phonograph
He just got home to-day and
among other things brought u pho
nograph along. He Drought many
American records along also as it
is a Columbia. Gee! l like to hear
Il choir out camping along side that
''coford chaser" and even though
the Erenchmen cannot understand
the words the music certainly made
a hit with them. It's cinch if we
don't wear all the needles out to-
day it will be a miracle. Even now
while L scribble wrapped up in two
sweaters, a sheepskin coat and ear
muffs, a Freedman is seeing to it
that the musicbox keeps working
regular, and it sure is amusing to
hear him try to pronounce, the names
OF those Hawaiian pieces. Worse
Yet, he wants to know what they
mean-just as if l knew. Why,
can't even pronounce them myself
You know, with all this music 60
ing on around me [ don't feel like
speaking of war. And there certain
ly has been lot of it going on late
ly around here for you remember
told you my flying activity at present
is around Scissors, although we
often fly near Rheims. too.
Hoisting the Huns
OF course, you nave read in the
paper of the advance around Sois-
sons. They certainly have been go
ing right along towards Berlin in
this sector, and the Frenchmen ad-
miringly give the credit to the Amer
leans. 1t was the day the lines were
advanced from the river Velse to the
river Aisne that l really got an idea
where the lines were and also what
gas attack looked like. 1t was a
wonderfully clear morning and as we
neared the lines we could see clouds
of white vapor filling the many nu-
merous valleys thereabouts, with
every now and then a tremendous
belching explosion of black smoke.
What the latter was 1 don't know.
but it surely made some spectacle.
Probably. the result of one of the
German trick of mining a shallow
bit of water, so that when a COM
pany of soldiers start wading
through into heaven so ~quick st.
Peter hasn't time to collect their
passports. A flyer from another
escadrille saw an explosion of this
sort when he was returning at a low
altitude from burning a Boche bal
loon. Just as he passed over a large
pond of water there was a tremen-
dous explosion, and then there
wasn't any more water, or anything
else thereabouts for that matter. He
did not say whether he received a
shower bath or not, but it's pretty
certain he got his wings wet. I'm
fortunately we saw no Boche that
morning so had no chance to help
along in the good work.
Clouds Full of Huns
The next day though, we had
plenty, in fact too many. for the air
was alive with Boche at all alti-
tudes. / had the latter fact duly
impressed on me for that evening
three Frenchmen and I asked for
chase Hbre," and there being no
orders we were allowed to go. BY
the time we reached the lines two
of us were left, the rest having gone
back with motor trouble; but we
kept on hunting, as we had perfect
confidence in each other, for the
Frenchman knew 1 would follow him
wherever he went, and 1 knew that
he would run a minimum of risks
no matter where he went. We did
not have to hunt long for trouble
for as / said before the sky was
full of Huns. , No sooner had we
reached the lines than we saw the
white shrapnel that denotes their
presence and the Frenchman head
ed that way. Suddenly he turned
and headed straight into Germany,
diving as he did so. Wondering what
the idea was l followed and then l
saw we were headed for some more
Archie" at lower altitude.
In Night Quarters -
1 could also make out few planes
but we were too far away to tell
whether they were Boche. However,
we were getting closer and my
leader began diving sleeper and then
suddenly pulled up and started for
home. As for me I first looked down
to see where the Boche were he had
dove on. but could see none and then
l took look around above to. see the
why and the wherefore of this sudden
decision to return to the home roost
A Spad from another escsdrille had
followed us In and he was still above
l MI nd hn1 ha ow,tk
any clouds from under him. He was
heading for the lines with his tail
up over his head and all the motor
he had. I did not waste any time
following either. for not a mile away
were three little Fokkers coming
full speed to cut US of for we were
for enough in Germany to make me