The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1919-01-02

Boat Hooks.
hooks when they could reach them.
I noticed that there were, red kegs in
the German boat.
When the lifeboat reached the ia
cob's ladders I went over to the port
side of the George and then the Ger
mans came over the side and hOisted
up the kegs. The Germans were
armed with bayonets and revolvers.
Some Of them went down into the en-
CINE room and opened the sea cocks.
About this time some Of the Limeys
came up from the poop deck and I
told them to stay where I was and
that the Germans would take us over
in lifeboats. Another squad of Ger
mans hoisted eight Of the dynamite
kegs on their shoulders and down into
No. s hold with them. 4
Mean time the Germans saw us up
on the boat deck and came up after
us. Ard over went the Limeys. But
waited and one or two more waited
with me. When the Germans came up
to US they had their revolvers out
and were waving them around and
yelling, "Gott strafe England!" and
talking about "schweinhunde" Then,
the first thing knew, was kicked of
into the sea. I slipped off my trousers
and coat and clogs, and, believe me, 1t
was not a case of all dressed up and
no place to go!
Then I swan hard and caught up to
the Limeys who had jumped first. They
were asking each other If they were
downhearted and answering, mot q
bit of 1t, me lads" and trying to sing
Pack up your troubles in your old kit
bag" only they could not do much
singing on account Of the waves tina,
slipped into their mouths every time
they opened them. That was Just like
Limeys, though.
Some of the boys were just climbing
up the Jacobs ladder on the Moewt
when the old Georgia let out an awfu
roar and up went the deck and thu
matches high in the air in splinters
One fellow let 60 his hold on the lad
der and went down and ne never came
up. The Germans were making for tn,
MOewe in the lifeboat and we reached
it just before they did. Up the laddel
we went and over the side and tn
first thing we caught sight of was tn,
German revOlvers in our faces drilling
us all into line.
The lifeboat' brought back the ship
papers from the George and we ha,
roll call. They kept us up on deck il
our wet underwear and 1T was yer,
cold indeed. Then the first mate an,
the old man and one of the German
officers called off the names and W.
found we had fifty missing.
The BOche commander had gal
enough to say that he was not Their
10 kill men but to sink all ships tina
were supplying the allies! He sal
England was trying to starve Germany
but that they would never succeed an
that Germany would starve the allie
very soon.
. After roll call some of us asked tn
Germans for clothes, or at least
!. place to dry ourselves in, but Frit
could not see us for the dust on tn
ocean and we just had to stand Their
, and SILVER till we shook the deck, q
. most. Then 1 went and sat down O
the pipes that feed the deck winche!
They had quite head of steam
/ them and 1 was beginning to fee; NOR
/ comfortable when got good clou
; alongside of the head for sitting Their
/ and trying to keep warm. It was
German garby and he started callin
me all the various kinds of schweir
: hunde he could think Of and he coul
; think Of lot.
7 Finally they mustered us all O
! another part of the deck, then drille
us down into the fOrecastle and rea
t the martial law of Germany to u
At least / guess that is what 1t wa
, It might have been the "Help Wante
= Dog Catchers' column from the Be
E lin LOkal Taggabble for all most of U
) knew or cared. It shows what card
the Germans are-reading all thos
, four-to-the-pound words to US shive
? ing garbies, who did not give dim
) dozen whether we heard them or no
e Fritz is like some other hot sketches
, he is funniest when he does not mea
l to be. Every German is a vaudevill
! Ekit when he acts natural.