The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-01-23

saw old New York slipping away.
When we got few miles out, we were
allowed out on deck and every day
thereafter, we were allowed to be on
deck most Of the time. But at four
o'clock in the evening, all lights were
covered and no one was permitted to
have as much Of light as q cigar
cite would show. This was on account
of submarines.
The Vaterland or Leviathan is GER
tainly wonderful ship. 1t must have
been beauty before it was stripped
of ornamental work. The first and
second class parts Of the ship are fin
ished in the best of work and material.
It's like walking thru a big hotel to
60 about the boat. Being nearly
thousand feet long and 80 feet wide,
the waves didn't bother much. Some
of the boys got little sick but most
of US got along fine. We did not have
other ships along with US, but trav-
elled all by ourselves, travelling zig
gag course all the time. We had
eight big six-inch guns on the decks
so felt we'll protected. When we
were two days from Liverpool we en-
tered the danger zone. Everyone
wore life belts at all times and slept
fully dressed. The last day, we had
six torpedo boats around us to chase
submarines. When we finally sight
ed land, we were little disappointed
that we hadn't seen submarine. We
felt relieved at that to set foot OH
terra frma again. We got off the
boat in the afternoon and loaded onto
the waiting train going to Winchester
to the American camp.
The boys had a lot of jokes and fun
on this first meeting up with Europ-
can train. They don't seem queer
now after nearly a year over here,
but then they reminded US of a toy.
The coaches are little box like affairs
on four wheels. They are usually d.
vided into separate compartments.
Each compartment has door opening
on each side of the car and holds six
or eight passengers. They have lit
tie dinky locomotives with a shrill
whistle. Well, we rode all the night
of the Oath and got to Winchester
about A. M. We unloaded, lined up
our platoons and marched about four
. miles out to camp on Christmas morn
ing. Winchester is very historic
old town.
In the time of King Arthur, it was
the capital of England. King Ar
thurs round table is to be seen there
yet and lots of other interesting
places. We were all so fatigued and
blue that no one took any interest
in historic things then. Our bar
racks were cold and we didn't have
anything but corn beef and rye bread
| to eat that day, so we were all pref
ty blue bunch. Some of the fellows
got pretty sick there too. That was
the bluest Christmas ever hope to
spend. Next morning, our band got
out their instruments and played
Over There Goodbye Broadway,
mad few other good lively tunes and
| cheered us up again. 1t. White came
around that afternoon and told me we
were going on over to France to get
billets arranged for the company.
There was one sergeant from each
company and an officer for each bat
talon of four companies, as that made
party of Is to arrange quarters TO-.
the regiment.
believe that it was on the morn
ing of the 9th that we left Win
chester and rode to Southampton.
There we got aboard a little side
wheel channel boat and left about
dusk for lie Havre. Just out of
port, we saw couple of boats that
had been torpedoed and were lying
in shallow water. That didn't raise
our morale very much but we strap
ped on our life belts and made up our
minds to swim if we had to. That
little boat sure did toss and by the
time we were two hours out, l was
leaning over the rail about proper :
Lieut.. Remington then continued a
description of his work in France ami
how eventually he trained for air ser.
vice, as machine gun observer.