Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-09
GARDINER BOYS
EXPERIENCE
WITH SUBMARINE

The following is taken from letters re-
ceived from Harry A. MorreN Of this
city, who enlisted in the navy last spring
and sailed on 4 transport from New York
along with a draft of about 100 men, re-
Gently, for a nava, base On the other
side:
shortly after leaving New York we
struck little rough water ana many Of
the boys and passengers spent the first
TWO Gays Mining the scuppers, hut I escap-
ed being seasick. The gun or 1, had tar
get practice the second day out. and the
way the five and siX-inch shells t.ut the
water around the little target was most
encouraging. We also had boat drfll We
donned our lifebeits and took our ,asnac-
tive abandon ship stations. while the
poats were launched away. In my boat
beside the regular members Of the shtp,s
crew myself and four other bIueiackets
were several army and navy officers
ohe-armed civilian. two young ladies' WIN,
looked as II they might be sisters an.
actresses, and a young mother with =
enid of four. he little kid il, },is d,~,,i
utive lifebelt made one laugh aasn;.o ~
seriousness ofst All.
49, i''t seem 70 he much dread
'''e war zone as we approached #
o:ihe or the boys appeared NOR, serio,s
'hah usual but it might have beer n,oe+
" Inconsistencies.
we had on board several sacks Of
mail mostly Christmas gifts. far tho ,o,.,
az me front. 1t was too ia II co,,i,
.''' arrive unit! afterwards, but !, ,io,,h+
less al arrived safely
christmas eve. and the dav ;,sa,r
passed without any event WORTHY, 30 49,
uce except that the fun e-u,, ,.ra,,,
pos'S every minutes. Ii was ru
Ia Nv" "estroyers TO accoYnpanv
80 go oosh me danger zone would nick ~.
up az noon but they did not appear 1rror,
'''"' ''fne lot Of the boys became va-,.
'eiN ouS ana there We're many who d,,
hot dare sleep down where +he,. ,,,,o,,eu
eo' nut prowIed about the decl, an ,,,oh.
Ny bullkie and slept all night = .hoo.a
an" saddles and had hard WORK - 49,.
"p lor breakfast in the morninc, WHITE
a. breakfast two American DESTROYER.
ieli ~ one on each side. ,,,acs ~,
glory never looked any better j., ~.
world than it did to this bunch a. - Az,
i,nn -.
''N' '"e way they pitched ana tossed in a
p"4 ',i'e'E cam sea gave rs frenen
more or Iess mtssvings. for il is dove, A.,
ING "oWels OF these that we have. got =,
work the slice-bar ana the, shove; :,
seems as thought it would 10 i,,.,o.,u.t,,
10 stand up on the fioor-plates ae ~
boiler room when they hit real ,o,ol,.
weather. ~ that, l guess we have j. ~
'"e "eSk iorce, for even in thar g,
Sd" one OF them stick her nose ioto +ho
sea ana me spray reach a signal ~,
VINO was wlg-wagging on the hridae
one noon. while the frs, si,.;,..
iN"N ,iS dinner ana the rest Of us xer,
ga "e'N s"H!hS at the coast Of Wales
""p"[ - ihlIes OF our St2rhoard beam
"'u "t''I1AS 'He antics of two All
SuipS when were lowering around TO
on the watch for submarines SOW,
'he gun crew begin 10 swing tbn aft.,rl
SiN-inch gun, thought they were fool
ing Tor could see nothing. There 1vero
no commands or anything. Suddanlv
thefe was q report. and fo,lou.aa
where The shell struck The .u.ato, a,It
close by SOW "a periscope ono do
stroyer wheeled and raced back &c +ho
siA-inch gun spoke again. If that shell
did not hit the little three-inch target
one mile away am willing TO he sub- |
marined. Il was said that one Of the
airshlps signalled back "a perfect lid
ana guess it was. Right after the seq !
ond shot the ships officers drove us
below decks. The DESTROYER dropned !
depth bombs, and wouldn't give much
for the poor sailors on that submarine I
How that sub came to be astern Of us
when she came to The surface cannot
see, unless she was laying for us as We /
zigZagSed Just enough to throw her off