Norwich bulletin., 1919-02-17
STORIES OF THE WAR
Getting to Saioniki.

The following story Uf an adver- turous inc dent in the journey of spe cial American Red Cross mission to the Balkan States. was written by staff correspondent of The 4 Associated Press who accomDanied that mission to SaloniIzi. Since the subiolnei; account was written. be has arrived io Saloni- Xxi and has sent by cable several dis patches giving information concerning the < Irn to Macedonia If the Greek refugees who were deportsd during the war and the situation in the Bal kans.
 The American Red Cross miss on which is making a survey of condi-
 tions in the Balkan States with
 vew of aiding the refugees who were
 driven out by Bulgarian occupation
 experienced a tempest1l l'rS voyage from Piraeus, the port of Athens. to
 Saloniki, and finally found refuge in this mountain sheltered hnrfOr in the upner reaches rt the Aegean Sea-
 The old cc\ twise Creek steamer
 Peloponnesus, on which They were travelling encountered . gale in which the vessel laLored so severely that it was feared at one time she would never reach rort. Having stopped at the port of Volo, 200 ftlcck refugees were put on i.oard the steamer despite the protests of the captain. Through out the voyage from Volo to Salonillt the weather was cold anl ainy and 2 northeast wind lashed the @ea into waves that tossed the old steamer about like q cork and made her groan | from stem to stern.
 Great volumes of water dashed over i her decks drcS ching the unfortunate refugees in the lower cai'nG and part [ W flooding the engine room. Two or ! the stokers cranbled 10 the upper | deck and refused to return
 ! Most of the passengers were Greek i peasant women and children from the | interior who never before had made a sea voyage. They succumhad to sea l sickness and fell on their knees in prayer, holdine uD their CrucIfiXes and ikons ard .'edging all thclr money and elo.% ngs to the church if they l were saved. Only the leassurance of { the members of the An'trican Red 1 Cross and O. the ship'5 officers pre- vented a panic Colonel Hofnei
 Folks. of New York. head of the Red | Cross mission. was thrown from z couch in the smoking room and wa i shaken up.
 Everything that was no! nailed town was thrown helter sKelter ovel he cabins and decks. Baggage, house
 hold effects of every description
 k tchen pots and pans. cra'es of live
 chickens. canary birds in cages. bas i Sats Of food containers of wine boXe
 of household pets such as cats. dOg and rabbits. were hurled about in con
 fueion.
 The steamer was so helpless in tn high seas that the shin's officers fear
 ed for the ~A-v of the 3GG Or nor passengers. and sailors were Ordere; , to adjust the life boats and to stant l bv. The only land in siGnt was tn l q istant, spcw-canped DoAll of Noun , PetOn whicn stood out like a grea sentinel in the darkenEg day bu , which offered little consolation to tn , desDairing passengers for there wa no beach or shore in sight on whicl l the PeIoranrr&us could take efuge. ; The captain dec 'ded IC turn hacl l and make for the harbo: of the Islam Of Sciathos, about 9 miles south.
 was a dangerous and difficult task [ ' turn the steamer about Ill the fI seas and the operation was the mos , anxious five minutes of the whole trif } The vessel careened violently and seemed about to capsiza wlfle the boE and stern alternately were submerged The women passengers became hys teriCal and the Red Cross officers wer ! kept busy calming them. By skfllfu maneuvering the pilot finally trough
 the ship about and tho PoloDonnesu fed to the sheltered ha"hor of Scia l tilos
 When the Red Cross men started t go ashore to obtain food they foun there was an epidemic of infuenz . among the islanders ard the authori
 ties refused to allow them 10 land. Flo
 the next four days before reaching Sa
 loniki, the passengers suhsisted as 5 best they cnUld on bread and cab
 ! bage.