The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1919-01-09

at Dixmude. I said: EJECT, do your
duty" They did it and 1 flew up tho
fiddley. 1 never wanted to see that
stoke hole again.
I sneaked up to where the rest of
the fellows were and the guards
drilled us into No. hold. There was
nothing but ammunition in it. They
battened the matches down on us,
which made the hold waterproof. And
as that made it practically alright the
only air the $50 of us got was through
the ventilators. That hold was GER
tainly foul.
They next day some Of the men had
got cigarettes somewhere. In few
minutes they as well as the rest had
lit up and were putting away in great
style. l divided cigarette with an
other fellow. Remember, we were sit
ting and standing on ammunition all
this time. 1t shows how much we
cared whether school kept or not.
The Germans saw the smoke COM
ing out of the ventilators and they
them laid below and rousted us OFT
with whips.
They lined us up on deck and read
us tile riot act.
They drilled us down into the coal
bunkers. 1t was simply terrible there.
Coal dust to breathe and eat and sleep
| on.
Also, by this time some of the men
had lost their heads completely; in
fact, had gone violently crazy, and the
rest of us were afraid of them. We
were all thinking of the fight that
might occur any moment between the
Yarrowdale and some other vessel and
we knew we were in the likeliest place
for the vessel to be struck. Even
though we were not hit amidships, if
the ship were sinking we did not think
the Germans would give us chance to
escape. We figured from what they
had said that we would go down with
the ship. And going down on a ship in
which you are prisoner is quite diff
ferent from going down with one for
which you have been fighting. You
arrive at the same place, but the feel.
Ing is different.
Some of us thought of Overpowerins
the crew and taking the vessel into Oul
own hands, and we got the rest OF
the sane or nearly sane men together
and tried to get up scheme for doine
it. I was strong for the plan and Sc
were several others, but the Limey of
ficers who were with us advised
against it. They said the German:
We're taking us to neutral country
where we would be interned, which
us, but what few Of us believed.
Then some others said that if w
started anything the Germans woul'
fire the time bombs. We replied tina
!, Mt least the Germans would go Yves
] with US, but they could not see tina
! there was any glory in that. For my
t self, thought the Germans would no
{ fire the bombs until the last minute
: and that we would have chance q
the boats before they got all Of u
anyway. There We're only thrice
, German sailors on board, besides thei
Y commander. This last Hun wa
i named Badewitz.
:. So the pacifists ruled, because W
: could not do anything unless We wer
: all together, and there was no muffin.
I They said we We're hotheads, the res
e of us, but still think we could hay
s made a dash for it and OverpOWere
!, our sentries, and either gone over tn
} Sjae with the lifeboats, or taken Ove
y til whole ship. 1t would have bee
: better for us if we had tried, and
k the pacifists had known what w;
j. coming to us they would have fire
the. time bombs themselves rath'
II than go on into that future. HO,
t ever, that is split milk.
Q We We're not allowed to open tt
. portfolios while we We're in the bun
n ers, under penalty Of death, and the
# in the dark, in that sinking air, it
It no wonder many of us went Graz
( Among us was fellow namedSHa
rington, about six feet tall and weig
\ ing go pounds. He seemed to be &
Il right mentally, but some of
n thought afterwards he was Graz
Anyway, do not blame him for VIII
II he did. Harrington rushed up Il
Il fiddley and opened the door. The
Il was a German sentry there, and Ha
II rington made a swing at him and thu