The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-09
SENIORS ADDRESSED
BY NORMAN MEEKINS
"SilecteI" Tells OF Exciting Expert
ences While serving Uncle sam i'll
The Navy.

While home On furlough visiting
/ his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William h.
Meellins. Mr.. Norman Meekins, US
n, addressed the seniors of the
Cambridge High School, in which he
related Il number of thrilling expert
ences which occurred during his two
trips to the old, world, and his visit
to Paris.
In describing the submarine at
tack. he said: The submarine put
in its appearance about shutdown,
and as she lay in the path of light
caused by the sun when it is almost
ready to disappear below the hori-
Zon, it was almost impossible to see
the treacherous thing. Sometimes a
submarine Will come to the surface
at night and lay in a patch of dark
ness caused by cloud over the
moon.
AT the time of the attack l was
on the bridge, and when the watch
sounded the alarm | focused my
glass TO see if it was the enemy.
About the time | saw her the sub
marine detector. on shipboard, SCUM
ded the alarm, and told us on what
side or quarter she was. The ship
then fired a depth bomb.
This charge is about II feet in
length and IS inches around the
body \ bomb, if exploded within
one hundred feet Of submarine, will
sink her When the depth bomb
struck the water it exploded, and the
submarine seemed to be unframed
for a second, but she soon commenc-
ed to settle by the stern, and her
bow kept rising out of the water I'M
til it seemed as if she would break
in two. Suddenly she shot out of
sight and all we could see was the
suction and the oil.
After the attack we moved up in
place of one of the transports
which had been sunk, and we were
reported lost. This caused us some
trouble upon our arrival both in
France and New York. We visited
Brest and had to stay there two days
longer than we expected on account
of the submarine awaiting outside.
When we left Brest we were accom-
panid by three seaplanes, six Ameri-
can destroyers and three French pa
troll boats. We arrived at our port
in France Thanksgiving, with nc
stay. nor what we were to do.
4, with two or three of my mates
went ashore and took train fol
| Paris. about the first of December
These coaches have no heat in them
Coal is 500 a ton in France and al
most impossible to get at that price
! People heat stones and carry then
| for warmth.
What pitiful sight Paris is
! Everyone wears wooden shoes, anC
| there is no one on the streets bu
women and old men. France is some
mournful country-worSe than W.
| can imagine. Every American wht
| goes to Paris looks for some of oul
! soldiers to find out the conditions
| This is done so much that nearly ev
eryone, who is approached. will say
/ Please don't pick on me; find some
one else
! 4 met a detachment of Canadian
| Scouts and had an opportunity t
talk to one of them. He told mt
| they were all between eighteen anC
! twnty-one years of age, and had beer
| in the trenches nineteen months
sometimes in mud up to theiI
waists They had all been given /;
| furlough of fourteen days. A hap
pier lot could not be found any
where. The hardships and strug
giles they had gone through did no
] seem to worry them. On the othe1
hand, they seemed to like it.
Il asked this soldier to give MT
a description of the trenches. HI
| told me that they were six to eigh
| feet wide, with sand bags on top ant
Darbed wire in front. There is a fir
step, which is about two feet from
| the bottom of the trench, which il
placed there for the guard to stant
on and watch, or for the soldiers
when they are attacked. The wound
ed soldiers are carried back to tn
| billets, which are rest places for tn
men to recuperate. The regiment t
which this soldier belonged return
ed from the trenches with only six
| ty-seven men, but Notwithstanding
their losses, every man was anxiou
to return and fight again to driv
the Hun from the Allies soil"
Mr.. Meekins' address was greatl
| enjoyed by the students, as it con
tanned many interesting and educa
tional facts, and gave the boys an
girls a clearer insight into the vast
ness and seriousness of the situa
ton. He also showed many attrac
tive souvenirs to show that the wa
is real thing, and everyone mus
do his part to bring the victory TO
the United States.