New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-19
1900 NEW MEMBERS
HELPING RED CROSS
Factory Canvass Results in Many
Additional Dollars
PLANNING FOR RECEPTION
Committee of II Will Be in Charge
of AL Arrangements to Welcome
Home Returning SoidierS-Othcr
News Items.


Plainville is quickly approaching its
Red Cross Roll Call goal The total
roll reported this morning is 1000
members. The factories were very
successfully canvassed yesterday. Be
tween the Rockwell Drake company
and the Trum'bu1l Electric company
about 225 members were added At
the Bristol Mfg. company the canvass
ers received Sc pledges. The commit
tee is planning to put up Red Cross
booths in several prominent places
here This afternoon booths will be
placed in the post office and in Collins
lunch room on Whiting street. 1t is
also expected that one may be placed
in Neris store.
Planning Big Welcome.
Last evening several of the promi-
nent citizens met to discuss plans for
a reception to be given to tho soldier
boys on their return. Stanley S.
GwiIlim presided at the meeting. A
committee of 81 was appointed to
make the necessary plans. The COM
mittee will meet soon to elect officers.
It is the wish Of the honor roll COM
mittee that all soldiers and sailors
who are home attend the exercises
next Sunday. They are specially in
vited and seats will be reserved for
them at the regational church.
Church Meeting Tonight.
The topic for the mid-week meeting
at the Congregational church this
evening will be Seeing the Good in
Others" There will be a meeting of
the standing committee after the mid
week meeting.
The enterta nment given by the
Benevolent society last evening was
an enjoyable affair and was largely
attended
Vacation Notes.
Many local school teachers are
planning to spend the holidays out of
town. The Misses Lennie Stanley,
Alice Tuttle and Vera Carlisle will all
go to Boston, Mass; Miss Marion
O'Brien will be at Fitchburg, Mass;
| Miss Vera Hawkins at Providence,
| r. l.: Miss Anna Berry at Salem,
| Mass; Miss Anna Olson at Danbury;
| Miss Dorothy Manion at Avon; Miss
| Ruth Wilcox at Rockville and Miss
| Natalie Purcelle at Bristol
Roland Hoerle has returned from
| the army. He was stationed at Aber-
| deem, Md.
| Moses Gammarino is home from
Camp Upton.
! The schools will close tomorrow for
! the Christmas recess and viii open
| again on Monday, the 3oth.
Farrar in Virginia.
Word has been received here from
| George Farrar, of Washington street,
| to the effect that he is not on the
u. S. S. Pennsylvania, but is stationed
| in Virginia. He was formerly report
| ed to be on the u S. S. Pennsylvania,
| which accompanied President Wilson
| to France.
Soldier Writes Home.
| What is one of the most interest
| ing letters received from one of the
| local boys in active service abroad
was that received by A. G. Smith of
| Pierce street from his son Earle
| Smith. Fe describes all that happen
ed to him since he left Camp Devens
last July. The letter;
Nov. %, 1918.
Dear Pa
Well today is Dads day and we are
allowed to write nearly anything as
the war Is over. So / will begin with
the time T left Camp Devens. We left
Camp Devens July 5 and Went to
Boston, Mass, by train and boarded
the English liner Fort Lincoln, ana
sailed from Charlestown harbor July
16. We arrived in Halifax Thursday
the 18th, AID as we sailed we saw
the many wrecked houses and build
ings caused by the explosion in tho
harbor some time before. We laid in
Halifax for two days waiting for the
rest Of the convoy. We left HallfaX
July 20 and started on the big trip.
There were % big ships in our con-
voy and it was quite a sight. All was,
well until the 3Oth when we We're at
tackled by seven or eight submarines.
Will try and write just as | saw it.
We were sailing along with the ocean
fairly calm when all of a sudden the
whole convoy split ships AID started
to zig-zag and of course we all knew
something was about to happen. T re-
member it all very we'll. I was lying
on the forward top deck asleep, when
all of a sudden a transport alongside
Of US fired and then an American
cruiser fired. / forgot to tell you we
had II American destroyers and one
cruiser with us. Well, to go on with
the story, the destroyers started to
drop bombs and every time one of
them exploded it would throw the
water 80 feet or more and each one
would make our boat culver and
shake and ring on the steel bottom
and you would almost think you
were hit Well at tho first shot [
climbed up in the riggings to see the
party and here was a sight [ shall /
never see again. / saw q little de-
stroyer all stripped for action drop
off a bomb and beat it away in five
minutes. There was an explosion
that fairly lifted our boat out of the .
wafer that is the way II seemed TO