The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-12-27
N. F. coNLEy, Publi.ns

don't expect to ever see inner blBht
than that was. We ran in nine lines
with five ships to the line Most or
the ships were armed and we were
put near the center, because we haf3
no guns.
The gunboats left us about three
days off the Canadian coast, and we
went on alone. We had fair weather
and crossed in 16 days, We could
have crossed sooner but II is recessary
to run such a large convoy slow in
order to keep all the ships ,osether-
Even at that, twelve were disabled in
some way or other and fell behind.
The remaining ships were met by
destroyers about three days Oat from
England ard before we got TO the Eng
lish Channel we had 80 destroyers
with us. The convoy split up there
part going to England and part to
France. We steamed into Brest,
where President Wilson lately landed
and laid there two days and nights
From there we steamed south in an
other convoy OF "a ships and ran into
| harbor for three successive nights
| 1t was full moon and the subs can do.
| exceptional work in moonlight.
We steamed into the mouth OF the
Gyconde River on the third night af-
| ter leaving Brest We were headed
for Bordeaux which is about sixt
miles up the river and is the third lar
gest port in France.
We had to wait at the mouth Of the
river 10 days for a dock, as shipping
lis very congested over there. Wnen
our time was up we steamed up the
river and haG splendid look AT
France. / was off watch and was on
deck all the way up the river and
had a good look at the fields and WELL
kept vineyards and old chateaus. The
people all stop their work and wave
when they see an American ship
corhs in.
We docked in Bordeaux and dis
| charged our cargo. We were there TX
DAYS and | was ashore a good many
times and enjoyed those strange
scenes immensely. We all had lot
lof fun trying to talk to the people that
couldn't understand us ] haven't space
to tell about what saw there. got
good many souvenirs and brought
them back TO the States.
\ We took on about 500 tons of ballast
|, which wasn't near enough and we
!. pulled out for the mouth of the river
. again. We laid there two days and
got orders to proceed in a IA knot con-
lyoy. On Oct, 10 we put to sea in
T. this convoy and they simply ran OFF
/ land left u.s. We couldn't make any
/ speed on account OF not having en-
ough ballast Our ship is exceptional
t lly light and when empty she requires
> ballast equal to 40 per cent OF the car
4 go to make her run good. II the bal
( last is less than that the propeller VIII
Il be out OF the water and she won't
: make any speed to speak of.
y We followed the convoy all alone
for two days anG nights and turned
k back for the harbor. We We're get
i. ting warnings OF subs all the time anu
n none of us expected to get back TO the
d French coast without being torpedoed.-
e and without guns we would have been
s helpless, too. We made 1t, though,
t and got back without sighting any
o thing at all, neither ship nor sub. Be
d lieve me. it was a relief to get behind
8 those submarine nets in that harbor-
: The skipper demanded more ballast
e and about that time the flu broke out
e and We got quarantined That cer-'
& tainly was Giscouraging.
= We got our ballast though and OIL
If ing at anchor two weeks we got or
a ders to proceed in 10-knot convoy
k We now had on $500 tons Of ballast
o and things looked more fayoratles We
II were all afraid we wouldn'r get 10
New York for Thanksgiving
y We started out OF the harbor agaiir
: Oct. 29 in convoy of five ships and
1t we were in the center, two ships ahead
u of us and two aft. We were not max
ing the speed we should and one Of tho
IS ships passed us and asked IL we were
IS making full speed. Our man signalled
10 Yes" and they signalled back May
p God Help You. Capt. Blair sends you
e his best regards and wishes you luck r
L. That was the "Antilla,'' and that was
n the last we saw of her till later. The
d other ship astern of US. passed US, too
is and she asked II we were making full
IT speed and her crew laughed at u.s. She
: was the "Martinsilk." a British boat.
n That was late in the afternoon.
n The U. S. S. Mona" formerly Vim
cent Astors private yacht, had charge
II of the convoy and she came back and
IL asked il we could make any more
s speed. We told her NO" and she
is said we should proceed alone or go
: back to port. And our skipper being
h a gentleman of some spirit replied
IS that we would proceed alone" When
a the sun went down that night we were
l. the only object in sight on the whole.
y sea We We're uneasy again, but we.
struck severe weather and that assur
It ed us that there wouldn't be any subs
IT out, Even at that there was Brit
e ish battleship sunk just south Of us on
a our third day out. We had heavy
II weather for week and then a few
o days fair weather and we made lit
tie time.
u on Nov. ~ we got news by wireless
" OF the armistice being signed and we
u were happy crew, indeed We had
g lights above decks that night-the
= first time since we left the Panama
" Canal
We were then in severe storm
!. and 1t kept up for several days. The
= waves were as high as hills and they
!" certainly make a fine sight but the
I, ship rolls SO bad one can't sleep at
!. night
8 We were beginning to run short OF
,s food and they began giving us short