Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-24
Augusta Girl Writes
From COnStantinOple


Miss Winnsfrsd e. Merrill Of Party Of
Relief Workers Now in Turkey
and Syria, Writes Interestingly of
the Trip.
Friends Of Miss Winnefred E.
Merrill Of School street, who was a
member of party Of 400 relief
workers who sailed last February
from New York for Turkey and
Syria, will be interested in the fol-
lowing extract from a letter which
has been received in town and was
written by Miss Merrill from Con-
stantinop!e. The letter was dated
March 16. one week after the party
landed there. The letter says in
part:
The Mediterranean trip was
week never to be furgotten-a Won
derrul warm sunny week on the Brit
ish transport Gloucester Castle. We
were like a private party invited by
our English cousins who outdid
themselves to have us enjoy the trip.
Then Gen. Foch was on board and
was a good mixer, always around
with some of our party. There were
also French officers on board. per-
haps a dozen other passengers and
the rest of the party was our own
crowd. They amused and entertained
US evenings with shows, dances, etc.
and it surely was interesting to talk
with the English ships officers. This
boat was torpedoed and partly sunk
i,, IN tcI, L..
war.
There never was such blue water
as the Mediterranean, nor such
beautiful moon and stars as shine
over il. The sunsets are beyond
description. One Sunday afternoon
we had a fine sing out on deck. all
the old songs that everybody knows.
They had moved the piano out and
one of the doctors had a flute. The
music sounded SO pretty on the
water. L happened to be on the deck
above most of the party and facing
the west, and surely the combira-
ton Of songs and sunsets impressed
me. 1t was so warm that day that
we sat about in shirt waists. We
had beautiful weather the whole way
to SalOnica where we stopped two
days, going ashore for sight seeing.
Dirt, dirty. ragged people and more
dirt. The morning we reached Sa-
lonica we got up early to see Mt.
Olympus and it was certainly a won
derfui sight. Snow-topped, shadows
along the sides, green plains on
either side and little towns glisten-
ing in the sunlight at the foot.
a British officer on board told me the
story Of the terrible sacrifice of the
British there. The River Clyde. a
boat which was run onto the beach
for the purpose of landing troops
through the large doors in her sides.
is still there. also two other boats ,
nearly sunk.
I'VE then had a two days trip on
to Constantinople. through the
islands. the coast Of Asia in sight
often. past the Castle of Europe
built in 1453-past the site of ancient
Troy and the plains Of Troy. A haze
hung over the harbor as We APP
preached the city. the Bosphorus
shining between old Constantinopie
and Scutaria. as the Asiatic side is
called. The ninarets extended high
into the air, the city rising on the
hillsides all gray buildings with
lavender tint over it all. Really it
was an impressive sight.
Over half Of our party went 10 an
island an hours boat ride from the
city, a beautiful summer place called
Prinkipo. william Hohenzollern
has spent few week ends at the
sfl
from this hotel. which house is now
being remOdelled for a British Of
6cers' hospital. I went to the place
here on the island where Gen.
Townsend was interned. a beautiful
summer home with grand grounds
and summer house. They treated
him royalty YOU know so that his re-
ports might be of weight.
"A boat runs to Constantinople
every day. I spent the day in town
yesterday. Visited that most Won !
derful church standing-St. Sophia. |
The outside is Of course boarded up
in places to support parts Of it. The
walls show signs of the ages it has |
stood bnt l never dreamed there was
anything so beautiful as the dome /,
and mosaics in it. The floor is COW /
cred with beautiful Turkish rugs de- |
signed rs separate prayer rugs, with
places to set their shoes in front of
each line of worshippefs. We all
had to put on slippers over our shoes
before entering. In one Of the col !
umns is a hole worn into the marble !
at least two and one-nalf inches !
where people touch their fingers and !
wipe their sore eyes to get healed. /
A moisture seems to come out of the .
marble column which is called the |
Sweating Column, I believe.
II also visited what is left Of the ,