The Springdale news., 1918-11-01
FROM HARRY T. UMHOLTZ

and vicinity would like to read few
words from one of the the old Co. A
boys who unfortunately was i'll at
the time the l42nd F. A. embarked
for overseas, and was left behind.
have been stationed at several
different places around New York
since that time, SO of course | have
seen some of the wonders of the lar
gest city in the world.
Some of the most interesting scenes
to me were the famous bridges across
East River connecting New York with
Brooklyn, the Woolworth building,
which is the highest in the world, and
which, when it is lit up at night can
be seen 40 miles out at sea, am told.
The Statue of Liberty with her burn
ing torch, which is on a small island
IN the upper bay is beautiful sight
and can also be seen for many miles.
The forts with their big guns on both
sides of the Bay where it is narrowest.
The search lights that play about on
the water and the Telegraph lights
are all interesting to me. But the
prettiest sight is Coney Island. 1t
IS at the point of Long Island, at the
mouth of the lower bay. 1t is Just
place for pleasure, one can find
all kinds of amusements here. The
liGht towers are so thick that at night
it looks, from distance like bright
forest
| came to Camp Merritt Oct. lst
and a few days later was taken to
the base hospital with the Flu, it
being my first time in a base hospi-
tai had some new experiences Was
in bed four days and the nurses were
real good to me, but up here they put
the negroes in the same ward with
the whites, which made it very un-
pleasant to say the least After
Was able To be up, was moved to a
different ward, and the first night
Was there, negro went crazy and
caused great disturbance. A few
days later man tried to commit
suicide by jumping from high stag
ing but he did poor job of it. so
wasn't hurt seriously. Such scenes
are not pleasant, but they all go to
make up the army life
I'm back to duty now in a Casual
company We are under quaran-
tine. which makes it very confirming,
however, | am somewhat used to that
now We do nothing except few
details and some go for short hikes.
Then we are like uncaged birds.
Oh yes, wish to say that six of
the survivors of the Thconderoga,
which was torpedoed and sunk some
time ago, are here in this company
and they tell some very exciting
stories of their experiences.
Will try and relate one fellows
story as follows:
THE boat my regiment was on was
so loaded that my Battery was put
on the freighter, Ticonderoga, while
out in mid ocean we got separted from
the other boats and one morning about
daylight ! was on guard up in the
crows nest on the mast when a sub
marine was seen a short distance
ahead The gun crew were all ready
and the captain gave the order to
fire, but the wind was blowing so
they could not understand the com
mand The submarine opened fire
with shrapnel, the first shot blew the
gun and crew off the deck and the
second shot tore the wireless station
to pieces, | don't know how got on
deck, | can't remember. Our boat
caught on fire and we raised the
white flag, but when we had the fire
about out they opened fire on us
again. The shrapnel were flying so
thick don't see how any of us es-
capped. Men were being torn to
pieces and blown away. Some did
not get out of their hunks and some
were badly burned. They torpedo
ed US twice. | ran to the life boat
assigned to me and it was full of
shrapnel holes. We managed to
lower four life boats, but they kept
shooting at us and sank all but one.
They came up beside the sinking ship
and got a few sacks of potatoes
They asked for our captain, he was in
the boat wounded and had his clothes
in such a shape his rank could not
be told, so we told them he went down
with the ship. They covered us with
pistols and took two pictures OF Us
with our hands up. The captain
then asked his men what they would
do with US, one suggested they tie us
on behind, which they did but Their,
being so much slack in the rope wher
it frightened it broke, they did no
j leave then, but stayed in sight un
1 til the next morning. We driftet
about for four days. There wer'
twenty of US and we had only on
barrel of water, crate of pine appl
and hard tack, one of the men die
and the rest of us were nearly dea'
when we were picked up by an Eng
lish ship and brought here where W
are waiting to get furlough homs
These boys had been in the servic
only three months, SO of course the
were not very well seasoned. The
all have marks of shrapnel and som
are still so nervous they can hardi
talk. They said one fellow who's