The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-02-14
RED CROSS MISSION J0LTEp.
GOING TO BALKANS
GREEK REFUCEESAB
Many Fell Prey To Seasickness
And Then Bent Knees In
Prayer

dH adventurous inCtoent IN the
journey of the special American
Red Cross Mission to the Balkan
States, was written by a staff
correspondent of The Associated
Press who accompanied that
mission to saIoniki. Since the
subjoined account was written he
has arrived in Saloniki and has
sent by cable several dispatches ..
giving information concerning
the return to Macedonia Of the
Greek refugees who were deport-
ed during the war and the situa
ton in the Balkans.
Island Of Sciathos. Aegean Sea.
January 5.-Via London, January 20.
-[Correspondence of The Associat-
cd Press. 1.-The American Red Cross
mission which iS making a survey of
conditions in the Balkan States with
a view 10 aiding the refugees who
were driven out by Bulgarian occu-
patton experienced a tompsstuOus
voyage from Piraeus, the port of
Athens. to SalOniki. and finally
found refuge in this mountain shelter
er haTbor in the upper reaches OF the
Aegean Sea.
The old coastwise Greek steamer,
Peloponnesus. on which they were
travelling encountered a gale in
which the vessel labored so severely
that it was feared al one time she
would never reach port. Having,
stopped ar the port OF Volo. 200 Greek
hn0 nd N
steamer despite the protest of the
captain Throughout the voyage
from Volo TO Saloniki the weather.
was cold and rainy and a northeast
wind dashed the sea into waves that
tossed the old steamer about Ike a
cork and made her Groan from stem
10 stern. Great volumes of water
dashed over the decks drenching the
nnfnrssn..e- refneeef tse loe'ss-1
cabins and partly Hooded the engine
room. Two of the stolSers scrambled
TO the upper deck and refused to-
return
Most Passengers Greeks.
Most of the passengers were Greek
peasant women and children from the
interior who never before had made
n sea Journey. They succumbed to
sea sickness and fell on their knees
in PRAYER. holding M thoi" CrucifiXes
and ikons and pledging all their
money and belongings to the church
if they were saved. Only the re-
assurances Of the members Of the
American Red Cross and tho ships
officers prevented n manic. Colonel
HomCr Folks. of New York. head of
. the Red Cross Mission. was thrown
from n couch in the smoking room
and shaken up.
EVERYTHING that was not nailed
down was thrown heller shelter over
the cabins and decks. Baggage
household effects Of every GeacriD-
ton. kitchen pots and pans. crates
of live chickens. canary birds in
cages, baskets Of food. containers ~
wine. boxes of household pets. such
as cats. dogs and rabbits were hurl-
ed about in confusion.
Steamer Was Help'eea.
The steamer was so helpless in
the high SEES that the Sims officers
feared for tho safety of the 800 or
more passengers. and sailors We're
ordered to adjust the life boats and
TO stand bv. The only land in sight
of Mount PeIion which stood out like
a great sentinel in the darkening
DAY but which offered little consola
ton 10 the despairing passengers
for there was no beach or shore in
sight on which the Peloponnesus
could take refuge.
The captain decided to turn hack and
make for the harbor of the Island of
Sciathos about twenty five miles
south. It was dangerous and diff
cult task TO turn the steamer about
in the high seas and the operation
was the most anxious five minutes
Of The whole trip. The vessel ca
ecned violently and seemed about to
capsize while the bow and stern al
ternately were submerged. The wo-
mon passengers became hysteric9'
and the Red Cross officer We're kert
busy calming them. BY skillful man
oenvering the pilot finally brought the
ship about and the Peloponnesus
fed TO the sheltered harbOr of Scia-
thos.
Red Cross Men Ashora.
When The Red Cross men started
10 60 ashore TO obtain food they
found there was an epidemic of in
fiuenza among the islanders and the
authorities refused 10 allow them to
land. For the next four davs before
reaching Saloniki, the passengers
subsisted as best they could on
bread and cabbage.
The members of the Special Red
Cross Mission who made the voyage
were: Colonel Homer Folk. New
York: Captain Edwin G.. Merrill, New
York: Captain Lawrence Pumpelly,
Ithaca, n. Y: Captain James 4.
Mills. New York and Lieutenant
o,,is w Hinn NnW York