Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-30
Lass;es of Salvation
Army Were Heroines
in Fight at Se;chepre,

A correspondent with the American
army in France has cabled home this
story:
Heroines as well as heroes are
emerging from the fighting on that
part Of the, western front, held, by the
Americans. a.,
Six Americana giris-all 'ensisns 'n
the Salvation ;srms canteeff aback Of
the trenches-had narrow escapes from
chlorine gas as we'll as from shells DUR
ing the battle ofHSeicheprey. a +t
Gas shells and bombs of large cali
Der were kissing and roaring all about.
But despite these~dangers. the workers
pleaded with their commander to. be
allowed to stay and serve hot coffee
and cocoa to the men coming out of
the first line trenches.
Some of the girls today told how,
they felt to be under shellfre while
near to the field of actual fighting.
All were cool and collected and
army officers are ioud in their praise
of them. The daring of these Saliva
ton Army girls is a proud record. The
people in the United States are not
aware Of the dangers nor how close
these workers are to the zone OF battle
and to the Yanks In steel stetsons,
as the doughboys are coming to be
known.
Miss Irene McIntire, a graduate OF
Mount Vernon College. New York. said
Friday night (April 19) was the firstin
more than a week that the girls did
not sleep in dugouts. The German
batteries were rather quiet" that
night.
ON Thursday evening we were di-
rected to go to our own beds for a
change" said she. I'VE were billeted
in a quaint old cement house, formerly
owned by the mayor and the only in
tact one in the village. Downstairs was
occupied chiefly by hens and cows.
while my sister, myself and other girls
occupied the upper apartments.
I'm the house were Glayds Myrtle
Huntington of South Manchester.
Conn. Stella Young, of Chelsea,
Mass. Gertrude Simmons, Violet Will
liams, of Racine. Wis. and Miss Will
liams. who had arrived from the
States about week before.
I'VE were awakened about 4 o'clock
in the morning by the ringing of the
old church bell. The Smelling had
started and one of the first ones struck
right under the clock. We grabbed our
gas masks and put them on, and 1t
was not minute too soon, for we GER
tainly got Whit of the horrible stuff
before they were on. The girls were
not bit frightened. They al took It
as a lark, and it was certainly funny
to see them sitting on the high French
beds with their masks on.
After while we began to wonder
why no gas signal had been sounded.
but in a short time the all -clear'
signal was given.
After a while the girls got restless
and wanted to take off their masks.
agreed to take mine off long enough
to investigate and get fiashlight.
THE other girls helped me to take it
off, but no sooner had l done so than
| got another whiff Then more shells
came along. ~
wounded soldiers began to appear
| around Dead Mans Curve I wanted
to stay and serve refreshments TO the
wounded soldiers but the officer In
charge of the town said it was no mt
place for women"
Miss McnItire at this point asked tor
corroboration and her companions gave
hearty assent.
Miss McIntire had worked for sew
eral months among the soldiers back
of the first line trenches baking pies
and doughnuts for the men and serv-
| ing hot coffee to them. In her Idle
moments she placed wild violets on
1.-THE graves OF the dead.
| The Salvation Army canteens are
| swarmins with. men every time ths
troops are on the move
Other workers n this branch are
Gladys Montyre ard Miss Cora NAn-
noorden the iotter being msmher.!uf
"a wealthy New York family. =,