Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1919-03-04

trian naval base. The. Moors OF
Moses originally fortified the en-
trance, as there are dozens OF kinds
OF most ancient ruins. / don't know
any of the late history of the capture
or taking over of this place, but ex-
pect It was surrendered via the armi.
stlce.
The mountains and hills about
bristle with modern works, batteries
etc. In the harbor are Austrian bat
tleships, cruisers, four submarines
numerous small craft, hangers, hy-
droplanes, Iairplanes, shops, sheds
supplies, machinery, arms, ammuni-
tion of all kinds and classes, tor
pedoes, magazines, in fact a com
plete base.
took a walk along thru String
town south yesterday Saw more
than l could describe. Went thru
the U-41 (sub.) There were three
others. This boat is up against a
sort of stone wharf about one-half
long enough for us. eve are 20
feet from being alongside). Will
have to get out about 5000 tons be.
fore we can get any closer. 1t seems
that these are the best accommoda-
tions, but how in blazes the Aus
trians ever got anything ashore is g
question. The soldiers will have to
unload us. don't know who the
flour goes to. 1t is evident that II
We don't unload no one else will.
The women seem to do all the
work and the men the fighting and
strutting around. Most of the peo-
pie live up in the hills and noun
tains like rabbits, where they have
their sheep and olive trees. One can
see little clusters OF houses stuck
all over the mountains. They look
to be nailed on, but | am told there
are little ravines and valleys every
where. want to get up on the high
ground and have look.
We will be here a month or more.
don't know how we will get un-
loaded, wagonful at a time and
Uncle Sam doing 1t. We are the first
cargo boat to get this far. The yves
tern Scout" which followed us from
Seattle and which we left at Colon
(Panama) came in yesterday. She
is our class and loaded with flour
with a merchant marine crew and is
anchored out in the bay (no dock)
She will be here six months. What
ought to be done is for both of us to
get out Of here and go where we can
unload. Nobody seems to care. This
flour will cost % cents a pound.
There is a little Austrian narrow
guage railroad here that leaves
daily for Vienna up, over and thru
the mountains. 1t travels about a
mile an hour. There are several pret-
ty good towns north and south of us.
These cargoes are evidently for the
Serbians and the interior. Why they
don't, and how they are to get it gets
me.
These waters are full of naval
craft, United States, English. French
and Dago. | could look down the
south arm of the bay yesterday ana
believe | sa@ so craft, and then
couldn't see around some corners.
There is nothing to buy here. The
people are exceedingly skeptical and
have no clothes but rags. and have
an absolutely deplorable, Indifferent
air about everything.
When the soldiers got here in No.
vember this place was prison camp
for Russians principally, but some
others we're mixed. in. They tell me
it was one sight and SMELL. The
houses all thru here are of stone and
are squatty. A complete history and
story Of all things would take a
year to read ! think Pharaoh used
to come up here to get olives and
grapes.
We had a good trip from Gibral-
tar. Came thru the straits of Mes
sines between Sicily and Italy. Saw
Mt. Stromboli blowing smoke, and
the glare at night was a pretty sight.
Picked our way thru the mine fields,
was picked up twenty miles out in
the Adriatic by Dago destroyer and
piloted into this hole. Stopped at
Italy, about three hours for