Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1919-02-22
LESLIE WELSH Writes
OF HIS LIFE IN FRANCE
Convalescent Camp,
Dec. 22, 1918.

| DcdT IlOlHc TOlkS
There really isn't anything to write
about but as the censorship has been
raised to some extent, will give you an
outline of my travels in France
Beginning the morning we LETT
Camp Merritt we marched to the
Alpine Docks, opposite Jersey City
taking two boats to handle the In
fantry | don't really know whether
they were boats or what they were
not being well enough versed with
the Navy but any how they floated
down the Hudson, Hoboken on the
right. New York on the left we docked
at the docks opposite n. Y and trans
ferred on to the steamship Olympic,
an English ship. The next morning
we put out straight across the Atlantic
leaving at ten A. M. and that was a
day | shall never forge. 1t was
Friday July 18th.
The moan of the whistle as we
raised anchor, with its distant sound
and yet so close. put you in mind of
some shepherd standing on a hill
blowing his horn, calling his sheep
together and that was what Uncle
Sam was doing, flocking the khaki to-
gether on foreign pasture.
| will never forget the Statue OF
Liberty as we sailed passed her on
our outgoing voyage, the last look an
American soil as the coast line van
ished out OF sight, with nine thousand
Dough Boys on the deck OF the
Olympic-their eyes turned westward
with that far-off distant lcok upon
their faces-their fminds being blank,
!, their thoughts being centered upon
some particular part of western 7. ,.
with one thought beyond all others
"Will | ever tread on that soil again"
This did not last long We were not
out at sea very long until we began 20
liven up again Shortly after this a
good many of the boys began to get
seasick. They had six meals day
three going down and three coming
up. was ere Of the lucky boys.or
was too mean to get the all
ment We had very good sea with
the exception of about twenty-fours.
during which time we had storm
and storm at sea is different than
any you ever had on land. And that
isn't all. you have a different feeling
than you have ever had on land-a
sort OF a creepy slippery one although
they say we were never more than
twenty five miles from land. that
being straight down and quite dis
tance to hold your breath AS far as
sinking was concerned that was al
most impossible
The Olympic is 935 or 1885 feet in
length, | am not certain which,
has SIX decks above water jnst how
much is under water don't know but
is large ship-almost looks like a
floating island She is well lin
ished and had been first class ship in
time of peace but has been remodeled
little since she has been turned into
troop transport. all OF her fancy
wood work being taken out or recov-
cred with rough lumber to keep the
soldiers from scuffing it up with their
hob nails but one could plainly see
that she was we'll finished and
floating palace i'll time OF peace.
The hull is of inch steel plates and i'll
three different sections. what | mean
TO say is-first she had a plate OF steel
running clear around the ship nat
urally- then there was nine feet OF
space, another plate OF steel. then
came the last and outside OF the ship,
which was another nine feet from the
second plate of steel. She was also
divided into sections length ways OF
the ship, three or four OF these par
titions being air and water tight and
have been told that two OF these par
titons could be shot through and she
would still be able to float as long as
water could be kept from her engines
and boilers | haven't given you
very clear explanation OF her hull or
lust what mean so | will draw you
a little diagram OF what | mean and
probably make it worse,
{ Here follows the diagram OF a
ships compartments so well done,
it shows Leslie is not only soldier
but an artist as wellO
That is what the bottom OF the ship |
would look like.
The water tight doors are on every