Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-14
Somewhere in France,
March 20. 1918.
Dear Mother:

March %, 1918
Dear Mother:
The Boches certainly have beer
raising Cain around herer lately. Las
night they came over again anc
making their usual tour of Chalons'
sur-Marne, let so a lot more bombs
However. the antialrcraft guns near
~ Eot one, for she'll hitting MIN
started a fire and down he started in
flames, and then the searchlightS
found him and we had a good view
of his enormous, flsh-like body. Bui
we were doomed to disappointment
if we expected him to crash. for his
steep dive put the FIRE out and when
The was almost over the treetops he
caught himself and turned on his two
reliable motors, climbed up and
away toward the Fatherland.
This coming over to visit us seems
10 be getting quite a habit with Fritz
lately, for every moonlight night over
he comes at a great height, shuts of
his motors and comes gliding down
as silent as an owl, drops his bombs
over Chalons, turns on his motors
and passing over our camp, goes
back home. Why he has not dropped
and expressive - and explosive -
messages on us is something l can
not understand.
There certainly would be more
military damage. or course. measures
have been taken for just such visits
as TO the planes, and even We aSia-
tors have been ordered to so into
trenches nearly as soon as the siren
blows. something l have no liking
for-one can't see the show for one
thing. and anyway, if one is to die,
why not get il above ground instead
of being cooped in a trench like a
rat in a trap.
Have Their Nerve With Them
Yesterday I heard from some
American ambulance fellows about
the damage the bombs had wrought.
According to their stories the Ger
mans sure have their nerve with
them. for they come down to within
500 feet of the ground and sweep
the streets (of Chalons) with ma
chine gun fire. Three of the ambu-
lance fellows crawled into 2 hay
pile. and having ensconced them
selves snugly in said hay considered
themselves as safe as bug in a rug.
But no sooner had they crawled in
than down came three bombs and lit
right near the hay pile. They chang
ed their minds about its safety "tauIe
de suite" and crawling out, started
running up the road, when down
came the Boche sweeping the ground
with searchlights and finding these
three unlucky fellows, began to play
the machine gun On them. Behind
trees, and very small ones at that,
they ducked, thus escaped injury.
but not fright, for they sure were
one scared bunCh-and I don't won-
der.
The safest place in an air raid is
supposed to he cellar or a cave,
but this seems TO be disproved by
another tale these ambulance fellows
told me. 4 bomo dropped on one of
these cellars in which forty persons
mostly kids-and caving it in, suf-
located most OF them. These Amer
lean ambulance boys helped dig them
out and while hey were down in
the hole digging feverishly to get
some of the people out before they
were Sufocated, down comes a plane
with the French tricolor rings on its
wings, and turning its searchlights
on the tragic scene. came tearing by.
Just skimming the house tops and
dropped three more bombs. for it
was a Boche using this treacherous
way Of getting closer TO his objective
without being shot at. For their
work of rescue this section was cited
for bravery by the French army. hut
the things they had witnessed were
too awful TO tell about. and even they
could find no words to describe the
horrors they mad seen.
4 Tough Job
For projections sake this section
of the ambulance corps were ordered
to sleep in a big pine woods right
beside our camp, for the American
officials considered Chalons-sur-
Marine a little too hot for safety. You
should think they would be thankful
FOR such thoughttulness for their
safety, but they certainly are not.
Hearing their woes ! don't blame
them, as they have no tents. and to
keep the cold out are given eighteen
blankets apiece to sleep between.
which will give YOU q faint idea how
chilly il becomes at night. I know
because although this is nearly the
first of April there was ice in the
water bucket this morning. And this
is, sunny France! I was nearly con-
WINGED that such was fact lately.
FOR it was quite warm for a week on
end, and l. foolishly thinking spring
was actually here, put on my 3. Y.
ID. sand nearly froZe the dimples
on both knees, for it sure turned
cold quickly thereafter.
That was yesterday, and late in
the afternoon three of us were sent
out on patrol. IT was very win6v,
and, the sky being full Of clouds.
was also some bumpy. Golly,
bounced around like cork: but. FAR
from soaring me. it gave me enjoy
ment, for just touch on the con
trolls and back we came to normal
This sense of mastery over ones
touchy steed is some feeling, and one
naturally acquires it after FLYING
awhile, for we are sent up in all
kinds of weather. wind or no wind.
Coming up to the start of clouds we
ran into a rainstorm, which seemed
strange, for the sun was shining
brightly when one wasn't in cloud
The clouds were not very nigh
and since it's dangerous to fly under
clouds, as a Boche might be hiding
in one, We flew above them. Look
ing down, a scene was unrolled be-
fore us the like of which mortal man
never beheld unless he had wings,
Tor the big. billowly, white clouds
looked like big soap bubbles, with
the reflected light of the sun turned
on them.
There were lots of holes in the