New-York tribune., 1919-07-05
21-Gun Salute Is Fired as
Cruiser Reaches ID O c k
After Fast Run Home
With Troops From Brest
Aided Ship Out of Food
Lancaster Brings 2,l34 and
Four Prisoners Convicted
of Cowardice in Battle

The United States cruiser Seattle,
mich has carried more than 10000
oops from France to their home
'hores. arrived here yesterday from
crest covered with bright and vari-
.olored bunting in honor of Indepen-
ucnce Day. When she got to Hoboken
her commander learned that the port
of embarkation was desirous of sa-
lutte, and he accommodated the drowsy
town by firing twenty-one guns from
one of the cruisers 1-pounders.
1t was anpounced on arrival that she
had made her last trip as a troop
carrier, and after a few weeks in dry
dock will probably go to station on
the Pacific Coast.
On the trip which ended yesterday.
the Seattle made her fastest run from
brcst, the time being days 20 hours
and IL minutes. When three days out
Of the French port she overhauled the
bark Huguenot, from Glasgow, which
s'gnalled that she was in need of food
and water. The Seattle bore down upon
her and came to dead stop while a
dcry from the bark came over to her.
The men in the small boat said that
the vessel had been 159 days out from
Hong Kong and that her provisions and
water had run low.
Ship Given Provisions
Come aboard" said Commander J.
Il. B. Blakely, Of the Seattle, "and we
Will try to help you out" The visitors
said they needed meat and vegetables
eEd some limejuice for the men, and
that little tobacco would do no harm,
as there was not leaf of the weed on
bt ard. Within an hour the Seattle sent
an abundance of fresh meats, vegeta-
limejuice and several casks of water.
A s she got under way signal broke
Out from the bark, thanking the Yankee
commander for his generosity.
The Seattle's troop complement was
made up Of many small detachments in
command of Maj jor Frederick A. Barker,
of Portland, Ore, who was attached to
the 9th Ammunition Train. The prin-
cipal unit on board was the 1l5th Bat
TALON, Field Signal Corps.
On the transport Lancaster which
arrived yesterday from Bordeaux with
{, ,134 officers and men of the A. E. F.
with cowardice in the face of the en-
envy and sentenced to twenty years in
prison. They we're part of group of
seveNty-fivc prisoners designated as
Casual Company No. 1859 and through
ont the journey from France they were
regarded as ''yellow cutters" and were
not spoken to except by officers who
gave them orders.
The other prisoners with whom the
four were Quartered avoided them, as
all had been in action before they got
into trouble which brought them to
court martial One of the returning
prisoners was reserve captain who
was sentenced to twenty years for
embezzling $4,000 francs from the
army.
Travelling Buoy Found
When in mid-Atlantic TIE Lancaster
picked up fiveton gas bell buoy that
had been anchored off the coast of
New Jersey. 1t was crusted with bar
nacles and it is believed to have been
adrlft about year. The trip just
ended is the last the Lancaster will
make from Bordeaux, it having been
abandoned as al port of embarkation
for American troops.
Among the units on board were the
I'd Infantry Pioneer Headquarters, 1st
Battalion Medical Detachment and the
32d Battalion Headquarters.
Che Santa Cecilia, which won sixth
place among eighty transports for
quick turn around" in French ports,
arrived yesterday with 2,049 officers
and men from ST. Nazaire, made up
largely of the 23d Provisional Bat
talon.
The transport was without a battery
and was unable to fire a salute when
news of the signing of the peace treaty
was received. Instead Of the roar Of
cannon the troops and crew were called
on deck and accompanied by the band
sang THE Star Spangled Banner"