Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-24
Records Were Smashed Daily
for Cargo and Troop Dis
charge; Hundreds Die From
Disease at French Port.
i976,146 TROOPS PASSED
THROUGH FRENCH GATE
UnforgetabIe Hours When Men
Died by the Hundreds From
Influenza; Wonder Spirit
Shown by U. S. Soldiers.
BY LOWELL MELLETT.

Brest. Feb. 24-While every effort is
being strained here to get the boys
home as fast as possible, it Is not
race. The reason is that Brest, hav-
Ing outdistanced all other ports in the
great race for Berlin" has no serious
competitors in the race for home"
The race for Berlin" was between
bBrest, Bordeaux. st. Nazaire, Havre,
tMarseillaise. Boulogne and Calais. II
began in November, 1917, and was de-
signed to show which port organiza-
tion was the most efficient. Brest
accomplished eight weeks theoretical
work in forwarding troops and ma
kerial in six weeks and two days.
/. RECORDS SMASHED.
/. When the armistice was signed 976,-
146 troops had passed through this
port. The first boat arriving in Nov
ember 1917, required IT days to dis
charge its cargo. On May "a, 1918,
16 boats arrived with 42,152 troops and
all were discharged within "a hours.
lOn July 15, $4,000 troops were dis
charged in IL hours. The Leviathan
on it's first trip to Liverpool-the
worlds greatest harbor-spent AZ days
there before its return to America. On
its second trip to Liverpool it spent
80 days. She arrived in Brest on May
2 with SS42 troops discharged them,
recoaled and departed in 81 hours. The
next day a British official arrived in
Brest to see If 1t were possible for the
Americans to better Liyerpoops rec
ord. He found the ship gone. Admiral
Sims receiving message relating To
the performance, thought there was
mistake and asked for verification.
SIMS RUINS HAT.
The confirmatory message was re-
ceived while he was in the office of a
British admiral. He kicked his hat
to the ceiling and shouted. On it's
next trip the Leviathan discharged
1O,3S8 troops in 29 hours and re-coal-
ed in 49h hours.
This is the pleasanter side OF
Brest's activities during the trying
months when there was just one mo-
tive actuating the American army and
the American people-to get the men
to the front These records We're
achieved with totally inadequate fa-
cilities, insufficient lighters, tugs,
trucks, cars and lumber, and with
roads in deplorable shape.
In August, the city of Brest suffered
an influenza epidemic. There were
many deaths among the French inhab-
ltants. but the army's precautions pre-
vented the disease from spreading to
the troops working on the docks and
1T Camp Pontanezan.
UNFORGETABLE NIGHT.
The same was true when transports
began arriving from America bringing
victims Of influenza and pneumonia
DFHl. - rl.; =,
Eteuben and the Louisville, which
reached here September 4. 1918. with
q hundred dead and hundreds of sick
aboard. One unforgetable night was
that of October II, when the Levia-
than arrived with hundreds i'll and
many dead. Brigadier General Butler,
former colonel of the Thirteenth Ma
rines, had just been given command.
That night he sent thousand Ma
eines down to the docks. They carried
500 sick men in their arms four miles
to Camp Pontanezan through rain and
mud because there were not enough
utretchers. The general himself walked
with the Marines, carrying the packs
OF three sick men. Today, he related
how he met two Marines in the dark,
heard sob, turned on his flashIight
and found both weeping as they car
Eied limp body. He asked what the
trouble was. One replied.
"One man died on u.s."
STORM RAZES TENTS.
A terrible storm blew down many
tents the night of January 6, this year.
unhousing 1900 men. General Butler
ordered all kitchens fired up and din
ner served. Bonfires were started and
bands played. A disagreeable incl
dent was thus turned sinto a lively
midnight picnic, while accommoda-
tions were being restored.
The spirit displayed in these various
situations described is responsible for
the present efficient organization,
which led Chairman Schwab few
days age to write personal note of
ccmmendation on conditions In the
camp. Likewise, II has led dozens OF
Den to volunteer to remain for per-
hanent garrison duty, though they
Wsre scheduled to sail for home.