The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-07
''COONEY" BOY WRITES FROM
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE

The following letter from an Ocon-
omowoc boy to the editor of the En-
that paper:
Somewhere in France.
Dec 6, 1917
My Dear Grove-As several months
have passed, | think Good Censor
Man" will o. K. the following letter
from time to time. | term him Good"
because if it were not for him, the
Hun would obtain information which
would harm us and the cause for
which we are fighting
When we left New York and had
sailed five days we landed in port
c'Evangeline'), only to find that our
convoy had sailed the night before,
so we had to wait there a week until
the next convoy sailed 1t is a lovely
natural port, the scenery around
same being beautiful, and the beauty
there must have helped the poet, by
inspiration, to write his beautiful
poem, "Evangeline." On our way up
from New York we saw a few spout
ing whales in action and many schools
OF a peculiar fish, which seemed to
jump out of the waves into the fur
rows caused by the preceding wave.
This fish is about four or five feet
long, large body and very prominent
fins. Many species of jelly fish could
be seen from the deck. While lying in
port we enjoyed the swimming around
our ship. The water was cold, but this
did not prevent us from enjoying
| change.
The next convoy made we sailed for
| the land across the pond. Had a fine
| trip, only few stormy days and very
little sickness. | WASN'T sick crossing
the ocean; but O, that English chan
mel, of which | will relate further on
| in this letter. When on the ocean, it
being my first experience on such a
| large body of water, except Fowler
and Lake La Belle, it seems to one
that you are sailing on a large globe
OF water and no matter how fast YOU
glide along, your boat is always To-
Gated on top of that globe. We had a
merry crowd of men, with a good
crew, good eats, which of course we
all enjoyed.
Had life boat drill each day and
when we hit the danger zone wore
our life belts at all times, according
to orders. Our gun crews UNITED
States navy mem had target practice
while at sea and were some good
marksmen, hitting the periscope tar
get five times out of six. In fact it
was our boat which sank the first SUBJ
marine after we declared war.
Our convoy, consisting of thirteen
ships, when several days out from
land, was met by eleven United States
and British submarines chasers, and
say it was some sight to see this fleet
OF "A ships ploughing through the blue
ocean. We saw the wake caused by
submarine, so we were told by the Of
hcers, but it didn't show itself, so we
missed considerable excitemen. on our
part. The submarine by instruments.
having seen our presence. must have
submerged
Landed in England and taken to the
channel. | do not like England as it is
nothing like the good old U. S. A.
We sailed at night, fast boat max
ing 20 knots an hour, and it was on
this trip across that yours truly had
the feeling that he didn't care what
happened to him. 1t was very stormy
ana choppy, believe me, everyone was
throwing the lunch, and I like the
rest, didn't care where it landed. It
was an awful sight, the ship, when it
landed in France.
france is beautiful and the way of
doing things is more like we do at
nome, more so than in England. The
Alps are magnificent, especially Mt
Blanc, which towers over all with it's
massive white peak. The weather here
now is about the same as we have at
"Cooney' during the month of Sep
tember, cool evenings and nice during |
the day. Although my French is poor, |
can order eats, and as my appetite |
is still increasing this is all the
french l need for the time being. My |
first experience in an areopIane I en-
Joyed great deal, and I wish [ knew
enough about gas engines to have this
for my branch of service. I would |
recommend it to any young man who
has that knowledge, and who is about
to do his bit for our just cause.
1t is like riding in a speedy auto.
good sport, and the only queer sensa-
ton one receives is when the dips are
made. The French are surely wonder
ful men at this game of flying While
lying high everything below appears
like large arrangement of toy build
1ngs, trees, hills, ETC., and is beautiful,
for everything the eye can see seems
SO regularly placed.
Since arriving we have been re-
ceiving and doing the real art, first
handed; but of this I feel [ am on nv
honor not to write about, not at this
time at least. Some of the men have
been attached to roops, while others
are here specializing am among the
latter, specializing in trench mortars.
a mighty good, powerful weapon of