The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-26
LINER IN FIGHT
WITH GIGANTIC SEAS
-Four Days Battle with Storm Leaves
Steamship Badly Damaged-Steer-
ing Gear Crippled.

AN ATLANTIC PORT, March p
With some Of her boats damaged and
with her decks and superstructure show |
ing evidences Of the seas that washed
over her, a passenger steamship has ar
rived here bringing a story of four
DAYS battle with storm The vessel
brought l37 passengers, some of them
army and navy officers who have been
| in France and England. The steamship
I left the other side and ran into wester-
! ly gales and tremendous head seas, and
/ these storms continued during a good
! part of the voyage.
On one day of the voyage, while polk
| ing her nose into seas which arose like
green walls ahead and broke on her
decks, the vessel shipped sea which
damaged some Of her boats. On the
same day a sea entered the saloon and
some of the cabins. While licking the
storm the steam steering gear broke.
1t took two days 10 make the repairs,
and during all that time six men had
10 work in shifts to operate the emer-
gency steering apparatus. During all
this time the steamship was buffeted by
storms and could scarcely make head
way. Her low record for p hours was
l6l knots.
During this time the passenger liner
received a wireless from a tank steam
ship in which her skipper said that a
submarine had been on her trail for
three days Those on board commented
that il must have been a very slow
submarine that could not catch up TO a
tanker in three days.
Mrs J. Borden Hartman, who went
to Scotland and France in her official
| capacity as chairman of the committee
On women in industry and OF the com
| mittce on National defense, was among
| those who returned. She spent three
| months in the work and she came home
| with renewed belief in the cventful sue.
| cess of the allies.
\ While in France she saw General
! PerShing, and she said she found him
] cheerful. in splendid health, and conf,
dent Of victory. The American army
she spoke of in the highest terms.
81 saw thousands of American sol
diers' Mrs. Hartman said. "Thev are
I hardy, cheerful and efficient lot II
\ is inspiring TO see them on their owl
sector. Not a single man did | see un
der the influence of liquor, either il
Paris or anywhere else, except that il
] Bordeaux on Christmas day | saw TIVE
" soldiers who had Just landed. The,
: looked as though they had had a littl
TO drink, but they were not intoxicated
- Taking into consideration the day an,
R other circumstances | think they de
served q drink.
n. THE wonderful organization of Eng
r. land and Scotland struck me forceably
$. especially the organization of wome
ut workers. The English are doing ia
- more than we know, for they don
nd talk much about it, They work with
nd spirit that is hard TO describe. TIL
- talk about pactfism in England is a
IN. nonsense. There is no pacifsm Their
N only the determination to win The
-" are confident, and they are working e.
=. cry minute to make this confidence sur
to There is no wavering. They are goir
TO see it through to the right kind
ark victory
u nSe Mrs. Hartman will go to Washingtc
N. in a day or so to make her report
un. the National defense committee.
- Surgeon General Sir W. d. c. vi
uss liams, X. c. NJ g., of Australia, wi
-, spent more than three years at Il
;at front, was another passenger He is
BY his way home, having been invalide
GG9 The general had charge Of the medic
= corps of the first Australian continge
o ] of 10000 men. lie has served
Egypt, France, and in England. l
owe sad that the medical corps of {
'sk American army in France was sple
~ didly organized. He added that tren
W fever was being conquered, that t
- general health OF the men was splend
W ana tnat the only diseases there we
/
Ian, 'none " "hleh ordinary hloflaAS VIZ
m subject TO.