Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-24
PROMOTED
May s. 1918.

my visits, and from the start looked
as if il might be unfortunate for me.
You see, there were three of us
one Frenchman and two Americans,
Putnam having taken sick-and as
there was not enough room for all
OF us in one escadrille we were
separated. which same left me
stranded all alone among a mob of
Frenchmen. The outlook was far
from encouraging for my French
comes very haltingly and 1t is very
hard for me to understand it when
spoken rapidly-as is generally the
case. However. two of the French
men speak English very we'll, and
one OF them was regaling me with a
tale of his life this afternoon. Not
that il bored me. Far from IL, for
he has been in the war from the
beginning. having had a crack at
nearly every branch of the service.
First he was in the cavalry-and
one day he fell off his horse and If
II had not been for his "cuirass"
would have been trampled TO death.
Next he was 'in the bicycle squad,
which he considered very interesting
and went on TO explain how the
bicycle could be folded up like a
knapSack and carried on the back.
And il would be put together too
as quickly as dismantled. which made
this type of infantry very effec-
tive. don't know why he left this
branch of the service-probably be-
cause trench warfare began then and
too much barbed wire was stretched
around for comfort, Anyway the
next division to acquire his services
was the Alpine Chasseurs," that
think wears the most 'swank' uni
form in France and believe me that's
going some.
In the War to His Neck
When 1 remarked on my trip to
the trenches at "Ferme Alger," and
the mud in the trenches, he smiled
in a patronizing manner and forth
with told of fighting in mud up TO
his waist, and remarked he dryly. If
one were smaller than the ordinary
man, IL was up TO the neck. In
fact. so gooy and deep was this mud
that one time he actually saw six
horses and the field gun they were
drawing sink out of sight. The men
in charge escaped. He didn't say
how, but I presume they swan. 1t
sure must have been fierce, for more
died from that mud than bullets
imagine drowning in mud, Yah! So
1 don't wonder he is glad TO be
gunner on an airplane now. as he is
treated as well as the pilots, has
good place to sleep and when he
works it is not in mud. When 1t
comes to a varied career that
French man sure has it. and as for
his present job of gunner, that was
not his intention. as he started in
school with the idea of learning to
fly. But circumstances prevented
him growing wings, owing to his
smashing a machine. talking back to
the instructor. etc.
Performing
AS usual I am away ahead of my
self for lots happened at "Ferme
Alger" that I never told you. 1t
was the last day we were there when
we were taken to see a battery in
action. One that consisted of these
big French 1858. We had seen sew
much interested until we heard this
one was actually going to preform.
That was different for who ever saw
a boy who didn't like noise. Prob
ably that's the reason men like to
make war. So we were soon on our
way. riding in n staff car and with
a lieutenant. On the way we passed
close to several "sausages" which
interested us quite a little-from
flying standpoint, of course, both as
TO attack and danger of approach.
The biggest danger in getting near
these balloons is running into the
cable that holds them to the earth.
and since I could not see this cable
~ zF@
scruiting. you can imagine what
chance one has of seeing it from an
airplane.
Arriving at the battery we were
introduced to the Captain and
number of lieutenants and because
We were Americans they shot the
gun of in our honor. first pointing
out the Boche town Con the map1
which they were shooting at. AS
usual, everything was cleverly
camoufiaged, the gun looking like
a rattle snake with its brown and
gold and black splotches. 1t was
situated in n pine forest and trees
seemed to be growing right up
through the wheels, beside the gun
barrel and all around the gun.
Imagine my amused surprise to see
gunners calmly take the trees from
the gun carriage IN getting II READY,
for they were simply some more
camoufiage. Being pine trees they
| died slowly. so any trees cut down
to make room for war necessities,
such as gun emplacements, barracks,
etc. We're saved intact and stood up
again wherever needed. for the eye
| of the airplane is very keen. There
were levers and wheels galore on
this enormous gun and we watched
in awe as the trained crew manipu-
lated them so surely and swiftly.
Strange to say, the gun was aimed
| backward, as it was sighted by
being lined up with a tree behind it.
The angle at which the shell was
to be thrown had been figured out
beforehand, so a steel bullet feet
long was rammed home. a charge of
powder nearly as large placed be-
hind it, the breech closed, and the
gun was ready to shoot. We were
told to hold our ears. which was no
sooner done than someone pulled
the trigger. Being much interested
was standing fairly close. when the
monster went off with such a bang
thought it blew up.
The trees all around shook as IL
from tremendous wind. dirt flew.
and the gun reared back so much
from the recoil I thought il would
turn a somersault, and to think that
gun was s miles from its target
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