The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-01-03

were assigned to was the Northern
Pacific" fast Pacific mail boat,
which | think belongs to the Great
Northern r. r. There were about
tiuS DOaL, anu \ SnOuSuL ti.sts " -
NouIu al 80 over tOSStner. floW-
ever, the next aIIernOOn All but Two
Oh Iue LrauspOrIS anu the NoTLnern
raclnc iefL. we tnOugnC sure tnaC
we would probably get out tnatshlgnt
out dI0nt. we ialu around on tnat
ship which was packed like a sardlne
can, until ESQ p. M, August 81,
which was the time that a nttle tug
boat glided up to us and pulled US
out in the river, turning US around,
giving us shove which sent the boat
on it's journey to France. The docks
where the German liners used to tie
up, were used for the army trans
port service, and also a great number
of the German ships. Right across
the river was the greater New York
City which we used to look at al
day long. Don't believe l could ev-
er forget New York's skyline, with
the Woolworth building and Singer
building standing way above them
all. However, when we pulled out
it did not take us long to get out
Of sight of the city. We passed the
Statue Of Liberty which stands out
on Ellis Island and faces the ocean.
made a resolution as we passed
this statue that if.I ever got back
in the old u. S. again | never would
see the Statue of Liberty's face again
only her back. l thought before
We left that when we did we would
sneak out some night, and every
thing would be very secret; but in
stead we sailed out in the bright af-
ternoon. the band playing Good Bye
Broadway, Hello France" with all its
might, and the people in the ferry
boats we passed would wave good bye
at Us. Believe me Inever will forget
that day. In about one hour we had
steamed out of the harbor and caught
up with the other two ships that
would accompany us across. They
did not have to wait, for our boat
was Just like a fast motor boat. The
other Two boats were the Great
Northern" sister ship of the one
| was on, and the "Leviathan" Il
believe that is the way to spell it)
which used to be the German 3"Fash-
erland" Believe me, that is the
largest thing in the way of snip
| have ever seen. Men on that ship
looked liked little dots. We had two
stayed with us all that afternoon.
The balloon left Us abcat dark, ~
the destroyers stayed with us for
about Sc hours. They were just
like having some bull dogs to protect
you. We were issued life preservers
and went through the abandon ship
drill a few times, before we got to
deep water. The first day out, the
big boat had some kind of engine
trouble ii afterwards learned) and
we pulled off all kinds of sea m2neu.
vers to protect the big ship. Every
body thought they had sighted a
submarine for they had the boat
drill. We had several little things
think that anyone saw sub on that
trip. One day one of the boats drop
| ped a depth bomb for some purpose
maybe they saw a sub. After the
destroyers left US we didn't feel sc
good, until one day when we were in
mid-ocean and that boat was duck
ing Just like duck in pond. They
made us all come up on deck and one
of the ships crew pitched overheard
a can about the size Of a small barrel
When we left it for about one half
mile the gunners opened up and hit
| it two shots out Of three. So after
that we felt like that we were pretty
safe. The last two days out we were
| in the danger zone, but everything
run lust as smooth. Didn't have any
| fear Of subs; some of the crew say
might have been on account OF such
heavy sea. The weather was pretty
| cool. and water would go up over the
prow of the boat when she would
duck. which would be about once
every minute, but finally got out OF
the rough water and everything was
| peaceful again When we first en-
tered the danger zone we met de.
| stroyers which stayed with us until
hit port. A few hours out IRON
| port we met with 4 or 5 more de-
stroyers. Why we had so many,
think. was on account Of the Mt
Vernon had just been torpedoed the
| afternoon before. I saw her when
we reached port. About 4:3O or :
D. M, on September 7th, we sighted
| land, and it looked very pretty tc
| us, and at $50 p. m. the same date
we tied up in the port OF Brest
Owing to the fact that it was so late
when we arrived, and was also dark
we had to stay on the transport
| that night. But the next morning
about 8 80 we debarked. formed oul
| regiment and hiked to the rest camp
under full pack, which weighed a
ton. it seemed, before we reached the