Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-01-03
LIEUTENANT K c. BEAN
WRITES FROM FRANCE
Dads Christmas Letter" Fs0m Pull.
man Man Full of Interesting In
formation--Much Work for
Engineers


G. w. Bean, for many years a resi-
dent of Pullman, now located at Spo-
kane, received q highly interesting
Christmas letter from his son, Lieu
tenant X Charles Bean who went to
France with the 319th Engineers.
Lieutenant Bean is a 1907 gradu-
ate from the State College and has
many friends in Pullman who will
be interested in the following ex-
tracts from the letter:
Brest, France.
November "a, 1918.
At last the lid of censorship has
been pried up somewhat and | can
tell you where we are and have been.
We left Camp Upton, n. Y, Sep
TENDER "a, embarking that evening
on II. M. Transport "Briton." Next
day we sailed at noon We were in
a convoy of about a dozen large troop
ships, each carrying two OF three
OF two battleships, light cruiser,
two destroyers and two airplanes.
The planes turned back at nightfall,
and one battleship left us the third
day out.
We ran south and southeast for
many hours, sailing u zig-zGg course
all the time, and then headed for
Scotland. For about two days in
mid-ocean we sailed straight
course All of the rest of our 10
days voyage was just one zig after
each gag.
Our ship carried our regiment plus
a few casual officers and non-coms
1t was good boat, but very much
crowded. The men lived in holds be-
low the water line, with little light
or fresh air. Influenza got us about
the fifth day, and nearly all the men
suffered from influenza or seasick-
ness or both. We buried three men
from my company at sea, and eight
men from the regiment. In addi-
ton we had to leave about so men
in hospitals in England Our Off
GERS Jared even worse than the men
Not half dozen officers in our 81
escaped illness on the way across
Two died in England the day after
we landed, and seven others had to
be left there in hospitals | was.
lucky enough to keep we'll the entire
trip. However, the work fell heav-
lily on those of us who were able to
do duty
The weather was rough nearly all
the voyage, and the day before land
ing we went through a terrific storm
just off the Irish coast. The Otronto,
which was in our convoy, was
rammed and went ashore with a loss
OF several hundred men. No doubt
you read about it. We narrowly es-
capped similar fate The sea was
the widest, grandest sight / ever
saw, and stood on deck till chilled
through, watching it.
October 7, at 500 D. m, we land
ed at Liverpool, having been diverted
from Glasgow because of so much
sickness on board That evening
found us in so-called rest camp at
Knotty Ash, just about three miles
from Tivarnool rrl,oco 80 ,,..tI,,,,,a
about in the rain, mud and darkness
till we finally got located in half
finished barracks and rain soaked
tents We spent two disagreeable
days here, and then crossed a large
part of England by train Tin the day
Light to Romsey. This is another
rest camp, but is under American
management, and the men got almost
enough to eat. October II we left
Romsey for Southampton, where we
embarked in the evening for the trip
across the channel Our. crossing
was uneventful. l was Officer of the
Day during the trip, and so got little
sleep, but that didn't much matter
for the boat was so crowded that no
one slept much.
At 1880 a. m, October 10, we land
ed in France. at lie Hayre The next
day We entrained and began our long
journey away from the front. The
men were crowded into boxcars,
while the officers were just as COM
Portable trying to sleep in second
class compartments. After two mis-
cradle nights and one day we reached
Brest.
Brest is good sized seaport at the
extreme western tip of France. No
where in France could we have been
farther from the fighting.
# seems that we were headed Tor
the front until we reached LIE Hayre.
There two regiments of engineers
were diverted TO this port to COM