The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-01-31

night, dropping depth charges at In
tervals Of thirty minutes. This was
done in case sub should happen
along and we didn't see him. The
next morning at 6 o'clock the tugs
came and took the old ship in tow in
an effort to get her into port, but the
old boat could not stand the gait, and
went down after being towed fifty
five miles. AS she disappeared be-
meath the waves every man of us re-
moved our caps and made VOW to
fight it out to the end until the
Kaiser and his disreputable family
and co-criminals were wiped from the
face of the earth. None of our crew
will ever feel entirely satisfied until
they are tried and executed for the
murder of our six brave boys.
He got our boat, but if he had
gotten her about eight months
sooner there would have been about
twenty-five thousand less American
soldiers in France, as that is the
number the Covington landed there
before they got her.
There Is an amusing incident
which happened in connection with
the sinking of the ship. Two men
were sleeping alone in the after
troops mess hall when the torpedo
struck us, but it failed to awaken
them, and during all the hurry to
take to the small boats and abandon
ship they slept on and were not miss
ed by the rest Of us. About two
o'clock in the morning one of them
woke up, and noticing the unusual
stiffness ON account of the stopping
of the ships engines, he went up on
deck. He was struck speechless with
surprise when he discovered he and
his companion were the only living
souls left on board. Tumbling down
into the mess hall he awOke his part
ner, who also received the shock of
his life. They yelled for some one to
come and get them but no one heard
them. Finally rigging up an old life
raft, they launched it and escaped
from the sinking ship, afterwards
being picked up by French destroy
er and landed at the same port where
/ was put ashore.
Now that it is all over I enjoy
having had the experience, but would
not care for a repeater"
Almost everybody in Paris will re-
member laughing Smiley" Dodge,
whose genial smile and noisy motor
cycle were as well-knOwn and as
aforementioned as Smiley" him
self. Dodge is still in the old world,
where he is helping Uncle Sam to
maintain peace and a semblance of
order He is at present stationed in
Germany, as is told in the following
letter to his old comrade, Mr.. Mitch
ell B, Jackson, of the Hotel Fordham:
J with the American ExpeditiOnary
Forces, Dec. 10, 1912.
Dear Jack:-It has been a long
time since I have heard from you.
We have had a big time in the last
fifteen or twenty days. We have
have walked all the way from Dun,
France, over into Germany in the
last ten days. We figured in the
march on the Rhine, if you have read
of it. I am in the saloon now wait
ing until eight o'clock for my sup
. per.
Every night we go out, three of
of us, and get us a good old Dutch
supper. We have potatoes, horse
soup. whole wheat bread, jam, but
ter and kraut. We have seen some
wild country in the march. One
place where we came through the
woods a wild boar sprang out from
. the thick mass Of trees on one sine
of the road, and darted through the
line of men, and hit the pistol hOls-
, tier Of the First Sergeant of Company
. lG. and ran into the woods on the
other side Of the road. Some of the
, boys said they wished they had seen
, him, as they would have taken a
a shot at him, but it was done so quick
! ly that none of us had time to DO
, anything more than to blink at the
pesky critter. No one was thinking
? of such an animal being within forty
! miles of US.
THE time for coming home Is not
!, a long way. off, not so long now as
! il has been. I don't believe 1t viii
! he many months now until / Will be
! hack in old Kentucky again. l vii
) he ready to, get astride the old Har
: lley-Dayidson again and take a splI
y out the road once more.
: 1-.'I guess you were about to gel ii
= the army. anyway, since l saw yol
Hast but the trouble has now al
passed by. suppose you are still II
!, the hotel. have not seen any of tn
ItParis or Bourbon county boys or any
= lone else from home since hav
" been here. except the ones in my Out
= fit. 1 guess Hi Roseberry and Harl
:, didn't get a chance to come over
"a seas, did they? . -,
II will have long story to tel
. Won when 1 get back home again
% write and tell me all the news. VII
= close now.
= "Your old Friend,
n SMILEY"
II Corporal Edgar w. Dodge,
% eco. L.. First Pioneer Infantry,
"American Expeditionary Forces.