Arizona republican., 1919-02-25
ARTHUR H. WILSON WRITES FROM BREST
 ID PHOENIX FRIEND

which he served during the war
 Friday, January A. 19la
 Nowhere in Franca-
 Called '1rest" Ny Dear Friend:
 Your most welcome letter of the 3rd reached me night before last and I intended to answer it last night but we had a smoker" aboard and I could not afford to miss it as 1t is the first since ! have been on here, 90 put off writing until tonight.
 | came awfully close to not writing at all. so close I am still thinking about it.
 You know | have seen one or two D fires in my time. but I'll tell you was in a death trap this time that made rhen all look tame.
 | am here to tell you this blow out made Dantes Inferno look like a pilSer and that ise no dream.
 One Of the other electricians and I went down into the number s hold to get somc cable for a job we were work ing on. it was down in the bottom of Inc ship right over the propclle- and shaft alleys and five decks below tho main deck
 Right above it is deck loaded with lumber. then a deck of miscellaneous
  and about 4o tanks of compressed acetylinc The next deck is all steel and is the blacksmith and ship-fitt shop, next above that IS tho carpenter shop and next the main deck,
 We'll one Of the forgcs run by com pressed fuel oil gas blew out. they had taken the burner head off and some one hgc opened the valve by mistake, the hut oil under pressure sqUirted all over tfc compartment lc1 then lit from another forge.
 We were three decks below and the only way out is up ladder right beside Inc forge; the fire was shooting clear across the hatch and the smoke banked up against the next deck and then shot down below.
 The opening in the hatch is about feet square but it was so full Of fire and smoke We could not see above our heads.
 We managed to crawl up two decks llnui we were on the deck below the Iorges and then it commenced to get hot and smoky, I'll toll Vou frankly it had my goat and was not the only one. There were eight of us trappsd. all told. and a more scared bunch you never saw. all we could do was stand and wait for it to come.
 Up above as fl it were miles away. VI heard the ships bell being ham rncred for the alarm and presently a hugler sounded fire quarters. double tuns- then we could hear everyone vell- ing on deck so we all commenced to yell
 Right over the hatch is a boom rtisged to the main mast SO we holIered Tor tho whip" which is the steel cables rigged to blocks in the ends of Inc two booms.
 They finally heard us and down came inc cable and hook through the smoke and fire; they had it swing gay over 10 port though We couldn't see three feet over our heads and they couldn't see us, so we were afraid to take a chance on pulling us up crooked on one boom or the other and either cut ting us in two on the steel edge of the hatch or on the other side right into inc fire.
 The smoke was so thick they could not get onto the same deck with the ire at all so it had it all its own way. About that time boards, burning. began to fall down where We were and then the worst of all. stream of burn ing crude oil found hole in the deck and came through right over the mm- her and acetyline tanks: well the tanks had lead fuse plugs in them and suddenly made up my mind that was no place for me.
 The oil would roar and flash clear over our hatch over our heads and then 1t would die down for a few sec onds and then flare up again.
 II decided I'd rather get mine on the run than waiting for it. so I waited a chance and climbed up stanchiou to Inc deck where the fire was. made the iVXt ladder in jump and then up two more onto the main deck.
 Right at the head of the ladder | met thc executive officer. second ranking officer aboard. ] was so full Of smoke couldn't talk and as black as a negro They could not hear the men down where ! had come from on deck at all on account of the roar of the oil that was the reason they never trimmed mn Inc whip nor lifted any of us out. told the officer that the oil was coming down through onto the acetv- Inc tanks and that there were men doWn there, but that they could take care of themselves if he would send q line of hose down.
 ltc grabbed the nearest line on decb md lowered it down to them in a. hurry well it sure saved their bacon" for .it drove the smoke up and put out the fire in the lumber.
 one other fellow followed me up tn, stanchion but the rest Of them did moi Ike the looks of it.
 The whole eight of us arc roino around now congratulating each other on our luck.
 After they sent the hose down tbs hatch below they got two limos down Inc ladder into tho shop where the fire vas.
 Tho Eunner's mate had smoke hel. nets and took the first line Of hose and had the second one with another feI- low. we had Co back out twice but finally got all the way down.
 am not fOoling when say fl is in, first time l figured myself a gone, and I will never believe that Friday i, not my lucky day.
 Tho Seagrave company. bv whom was employed at the time | enlisted have written to aSS for my discharr, and hope to be home sometime befor, long.
 Well this is an for this time. writ, soon.
 ARTHUR II. WILSON.
 El C. '. <. $. Bridgeport
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 The T. W. C. A. should be A hous, "f friendliness to all girls and women N.u.