The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-08-21

July % Correspondence OF The AS
sociated Press)-Twelve o'clock at
night, all lights out ashore and
afloat, heavy rain squalls sweeping
out to sea, and this great port dark
and silent as the latest fleet OF
American transports and conveys
l3 monster ships, 10 destroyers, &c.
600 fighting men and 5000 crew
creeps in from the Atlantic.
With an American army escort
we had climbed to high point on
the sea front to get a glimpse OF
this first process in the gigantic
military migration from America to
Europe, the greatest the world has
ever known, and then to follow it,
step by step, as its vast and intricate
activities unfolded up to the arrival
of the men on the fighting front.
The wireless station had received
cipher message giving warning of
the approach of the fleet. 1t had
been hoped the arrival would be in
daylight, with flags flying, bands
playing and the sun shining as the
American fighting men got their
first glimpse OF Europe. But this is
no dress parade, said the admiral,
and there is no time for stage ef-
fects.
And so at midnight in hte rain
and darkness, with signal lights
showing for the first time since they
left the other side, the huge flotilla
moved in a long line of lights to
the sheltered roadstead. There was
the creak Of windlass and chains as
the anchors gripped.
And yet this midnight arrival in
the darkness and rain is only one
OF the steady succession of great ar
madas coming every three and four
davs, in the colossal American mill
tary influx which Secretary Baker
gives at 275,000 men for single
month. These 10000 men just in are
the population of good-sized city,
twice as many men as we sent to
Cuba for the Spanish-American war,
about half the force Napoleon had
at Waterloo when the destinies OF
Europe were in the scale.
And while this is one OF the record
debarkments, yet it is only small
part of that mighty stream coming
in from the west. 1t is the unprece-
dented magnitude Of such mill
tarv movement. across the ocean. in
the face of submarines, that has
thrilled the allied world and broken
the spirit of the adversary.
1t was a stirring scene in the har-
Dor the morning following as the
transports unloaded their 10000
men. The sky had cleared and the
huge hulls of the transports loomed
out of the mist. their tunnels puff
ing black smoke, their sides painted
with fantastic camouflage. and their
decks rising like terraces crowded
with khaki-clad Americans in their
broad brimmed sombreros. The de-
stroyers had drawn off and were
lying punched ten across. They
looked diminutive besides the big
ships, but their power showed in
the CLINT of guns and the long lean
build like a greyhound stretched for
action. Further back were the
French warships.
All about were innumerable small
craft. army and navy tugs. Lighters,
launches. and a flotilla of fishing
craft which with their nets hanging
to dry like huge sails OF lace. Back
of this water scene stretched the
huge American warehouses, sprung
up like mushrooms. until the whole
front was black with buildings and
the skeletons OF more buildings. Al
ready the lighters were alongside,
and the soldiers came tramping
down the gangways to go ashore.
A few OF the smaller ships can
come to the docks. but most of the
unloading from the decp-draught
ships must be by lighters. The Amer
lean commanders are planning TO
change all this. and soon the long
breakwater will be linked to the land
by bridges. thus creating at a stroke
a huge docking system by which
the American troopse will march
straight ashore from the ships.
A lighter was now pushing off,
with 500 troops packed on it like
the crowd at a holiday procession.
The men were feeling gay. for they
were about to step on solid ground
again. and to have their first look
at France. and besides. they had the
regimental band which was send
ing the Star Spangled Banner echo
ing over the water. Every head was
barred as the strains of the anthem
went up. Over the men floated a
huge dirigible balloon pointing out
to sea in quest OF a submarine. The
soldiers gazed at It as the first sign
of warfare. After it rose. two hydro
planes like monster beetles. and
Joined in the search for submarines.
Now the lighters were at the dock.
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