The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-24

was where the sea and the sky met
just a little way off. it seemed. Yet,
We never got to the top until We
reached Hoboken." Continuing, he de-
scribed the long hours spent on deck
the last two days out in looking for
land.
First Sign of Land.
The arrival of a lonely sea gull in
the wake of the boat was the first
sign of land. Cheer after cheer broke
out at the sight of the big. hungry
white winged bird from the shores of
America the first live thing from their
land. And lonely sea gull a few days
before had been the last to say fare
well from the shores of Europe.
Next were a few pi- -es of drift
wood. Then the heavy. dark blue of
the sea turned to a softer shade 1t
was becoming shallow.
Now we're only three miles from
land one fellow said.
One of the worn out A. L. F.. jokes
is a statement made that the boat was
only five miles from land, the land at
the bottom of the sea.
Hours passed.. Then five sea gullS
were in the wake of the boat. In a
short time an army of the hungry
visitors were darting here and there in
the wake OF the boat in quick dips
into the sea for scraps of food.
A patrol boat was next, and the
boys cheered until their throats
crac-ed at the sight of American sail
ors. A life buoy. two. three and four
of them. Then the pilot boat.
Cheered the Pilot.
How they did cheer as the pilot
clambered down from the little
steamer into a row boat. Then, there
was an exciting race against the waves
as the two oarsmen in the boat fought
to reach the rope ladder and finally
the pilot gra bbed the ladder and clam
bered aboard the Mobile.
Two or three New York papers in
his overcoat pocket were ''salvaged"
and the sheets were divided up among
the news hungry lads. He was the
man of the hour. The boat stopped
as he examined the papers. Then, he
took charge. Land was sighted. New
Statue of Liberty.
Next the gasoline tugs. the big boats
lying in the harbor. A boat, maybe
an excursion boat filled with flags
and people was steaming out of the
harbor.
-'.Fellers, it says welcome on the
side, it's for u.s. shouted one.
Truly, it was. Cheer after cheer.
Tears streamed down laughing faces:
ooh boy, oh boy. you can't beat 1t, "
was about all they could say.
Many on board the Welcoming. tug
had prepared big banners bearing the
names of the loved one they had been
looking for. these many. many months.
They began paging the names on the
banner. The man PACED was carried
on the shoulders of his companions to
the rail
The boat pulled within ear shot.
The wholesome faces of the American
girls could be SEEN Every one shout
ed nearly every one cried with the
sheer joy of the glad sights.
BugIe Call to Quarters.
Men from the welcoming boat threw
oranges and apples to the boys. The
boVs tossed back ship biscuits. 1t
seemed no more than minute until
the bugle sounded a call to quarters.
ITO with it," sounded hun
dreds of voices.
Better go down, boys" advised
some: wen get even with the bugler
after we get out"
In short order they touched dock at
Hoboken and in an hour and half
the boat was cleared of soldiers
Pretty New York Red Cross workers
wheeled steaming cans of coffee with
milk and sugar in it up and down the
dock. Others gave them sweet bis
cults with raisins n them.
= Y. NJ. c. A, Salvation Army and
knights of Columbus workers distrib-
uted chocolate bars, postals and Gig
arets and offered to send kilograms to
the folks at home free of charge. Next
came a ride on a ferry boat up the
river, past the battery and along the
sky line. Girls by the hundreds hung
from the windows of skyscrapers and
waved The boys cheered. Finally
Long Isl md and 3-hour rail trip to
Camp Upton.
1t was the day they had dreamed
about and it was every bit as sweet
to them as the dreams in the dugouts
in the Argonne and in the tents N
rainy, muddy Brest had pictured it.