Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-03-14
February 10, 1918.
Somewhere in England.
Tells Of the Tragic Night

Mr.. and Mrs. John Kier, 319 Sixth
street, have received a letter from
their son, Wayland E., which reads as
follows:
Dear Mother and All:
Will write you again today, because
I presume you will be glad to get the
letters. | suppose they will be few
and far between. I am going to tell
you about my experiences when we
were hit.
I was down in my sleeping quarters
lying on my bunk. There were about
ten of us there just getting ready to
go to supper. You see the first sitting
was at and the second sitting was at
6. I ate at the second sitting. 1t was
just about 5:45 when we were hit.
was never so surprised in my life. An
officer was down where we were and
told us that we had better go up on
deck at $50 That was about ten
minutes before we were hit. ''We1l,"
said to him, "what are we going to
do about our supper"
He said, well, then, go up as soon
as you have supper"
| said all right. I thought when we
were hit that we would never get out
Of that hole, because we were down
four decks from where the lifeboats
were. The minute we were hit the
water came rushing in where we were
and the glass flying around Then,
besides that, the lights went out the
minute we were hit. Well, I grabbed
my life belt and ran for the door, or
where I thought it was. I got up on
deck where the lifeboats were, and
just as [ got up there the boat | was
supposed to go in went down and was
broken in splinters. Then three more
boats came down and broke to pieces.
Well, then, l thought we were gone.
[ helped the major into a boat and
days. Some of the fellows lost their
heads and jumped overheard. I wait
ed there with John O'Brien, James
Bray and our sergeant major. We
managed to get into the last lifeboat.
slid down a rope about thirty feet
into the lifeboat Well, the sea was
not very rough when we started, but it
got pretty rough after while. We
rowed as hard as we could so as to
get away from the big boat sucking us
down. Of course you know there is
an awful suction when a big boat
sinks Well, we managed to get away
from it and then it was SO rough that
we were unable to do anything by
rowing, so we just drifted. We drifted
for four hours before we were picked
up. We were picked up by fish boat
1t was about 1920 when we were
picked up, and we didn't land until
$50 the next morning. Believe me I
was sure glad when [ got my feet on
land. The people in Ireland where we
landed treated us fine. They got some
thing to eat for us right away and then
| went to bed and slept until in the
afternoon. I got up then and looked
around The people had an entertain
ment for us that afternoon, which was
sure swell Of them. We stayed there
two days, then went to a camp for a
day, then 10 Dublin, then over to Wales
and now l am in England. I am feel
ing just fine. I lost that swell pair Of
socks that you and Marjorie made for
me and that helmet that Shirley sent
me, but 1 should worry as long as I
am alive l guess there were about
100 men lost altogether. 1t sure was
a great experience, anyway, but it was
an exciting one. Ha! Ha!
The weather is very damp here. You
see the sun about once a week. do
not know how much of this letter will