The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-01
'STOWAWAY WIVES BRAVE THE U-bOAT ID SEE HUSBANDS But They Will Be Sent Back Home From France
 After All
SHIP TORPEDOED
 WHEN NEARING PORT
Presence of Two Women on Vessel Not Discovered Until They Were
 Safe in Lifeboat
By FRAZIER HUNT

able to drive romance from the seas and the world. German submarines, floating mines, 75-mile guns, and liquid fire have turned the once glorious
 game into one of terror, mud, and death; but romance will not be killed
 For proof take this story of the wives of two fighting men who this day came stoways on a steel cargo ships maiden voyage, who were dis covered when the boat was torpedoed by destroyer, and who are now In this French port waiting to be sent
 home; but with fair wind and high hearts they will become again--these wives who would see their soldiers, whether a paterna but stern govern ment rules against it or not.
 To start this story we must jump from this colorfu1 old port, crowded with the soldiers and sailors of all nations, and go back to busy New York harbor. Two very determined and homesick and romantic wives of American soldiers in France were there spending hours about the docks, wistfully watching the ships slip down the harbor bound for lover there' One was the wife of Capt. Leslie Garner of the ammunition train and the other was the wife of Second Lieut.. Frank M. Jones of the field artillery. They wanted, more than anything else in the world, to see their husbands and be near them; but Uncle Sam said
 no. At that time, the first week in August there was no possible way for
 soldiers wife to come to France, To matter in what capacity.
 They had tried them all and the minute they had told who they were
 there was a regretful but very final shaking of the head. It was the army
 law, but army laws were made by men,
 and these days of war women who
 vote have their say in the affairs of
 the world. Not getting it, they take it
 any way. So these two young women, neither of whom is hardly more than a girl, planned and schemed and smiled,
 and finally passed five golden twenties in good old United States specie across the grimy palm of certain friendly ailorman-"Bob.- they call them in the navy.
 So it was that late one night in Au- gust, by means fair or foul the two girls slipped aboard one of the shipping boards new cargo boat sand were hus- tied down into the deep black hold, where there was piled thousands of tons of good, white American flour for the fight l ing doup boys. The same friendly ''bob'' that had brought them on board found two cot mattresses for them and a pair of blankets. and twice each day there- after he would slip down with stolen l food and fresh water. He was their
 sole guide, comforter, and philosopher. l The morning after the young women
 went on board they found that the ship
 was moving, and by night they knew
 they were out to sea. These first days
 it was calm, but they were long, long l days. It was always dark below, and the air grew stale and stuffy. But the | drone of the screw shaft was a song to l them--tney were on their way to Franco
 and through great adventure some way
 they would see the men whom they had l risked so much to be with. No crusader l ever went forth with stouter hearts or braver vows.
 1 On the eleventh day out the sea kicked
 up a nasty storm, which continued for | several days. These were times of fear and torture to these two. Each hour
 was a day long and day was like a month. Then the storm settled, but there | was engine trouble, and suddenly the
 ship stopped. Their watches said it was l6 o'clock in the evening. Several hours 1 later theic bribed seaman came.
 l Another ship in the convoy had been I torpedoed just at the time that their l own engine had broke down, he said.
 The rest of the convoy had gone on,
 while they were standing metionless with
 one destroyer guarding them.
 T wish yon women were back in New York where you belong," he said. l There's a regular nest of subs around here. I'm going to hide you up neaf
 the deck and stay close by you the rest of the night, so that if anything happens
 can get you to lifeboat. Come on.' ! So frightened and worn out by their long trip of terror, they followed him 10 l a little hidden niche below deck. It was
 near ladder to the main deck, where
 there were "1ifeboats. For hours they
 crouched with the sailor standing by. The minute before midnight they heard shouts echoing down from the bridge. l Then there was a blinding, smashing
 'boom," and a great explosion, when everything seemed to be tossed into the
 air and thrown about like giant kick l ing dolls house.
 The ship shuddered and settled, but be- fore it straightened second torpedo struck. Everything was black now, the | water was rushing in, and there was a | smell of explosives everywhere, and ! shouts and cries. Before they could l move, the two girls were standing in water up to their knees and were frozen with terro-. Then they heard the sailor | calling them. Then his strong hands l gripped them.
 He half dragged them up the ladder | to the deck The brave little destroye CT was dropping it's depth bombs and lay r. ing a barrage around the hidden sub marine, and as each bomb exploded it threw a great mountain of water that looked in the starlit night like some gigantic gcyser.
 l In less than minute the sailor planted his two charges in a 1ifeboat, where they lay sobbing. The ship was settling rapidly now Already it was l almost down 10 the deck line. In an lother three minutes the lifeboat had it's crew. It was swung down and showed off and the men rowed a hun dred feet from the torpedoed ship. BA the light from the stars and the faint quarter moon they could see other boats being lowered and pulled away Ten minutes passed, then the last one pulled away.
 The two men remaining behind to the last jumped overheard and swan to the nearest lifeboat The ship set tied to it's main deck and went nc low CT. It was like a miracle. it brought lback hope and spirits. They begar calling from one boat to another anc rowing slowly around the ship The destroyer was there, darting and scur' Irving and searching for subs. and a: the sea was smooth 1t would not stoI to pick up the survivors. The morn ling, they knew, would bring help ant rescue