The Monticellonian., 1919-05-16
Bruch, Germany,
 April IF, 1919.

llSGCINCd tlIy 9SSOiIO lSlJCl this afternoon and awfully glad to get it and especially to know you are well. Have promised you long letter for a long time telling of my trip oVerhere- so as l have time tonight will begin. You will not find my story full of thrills and excit- ment as one would expect to hear from overhere. To begin at the beginning, l will say that I left Camp Mills, L. l. at 12 o'clock August the 21st, 1918 and boarded the transport ship, "Tolsa'', which brought us a cross. This ship was some thing new to us so at first there was a lot of eXcitement-as you know everyone has 9 particular place. The next thing was SUD- per and we scrambled to our places where we had about as much room as sardines in can. Here we sat eating and perspir- ing because ii was so hot inside the ship. But ont on the deck we had music, boxing, singing and other sports till dark every night. We went out in the harbor and stayed 1 days and then started the roal tt!p across the largest pool Of water l have ever had the pleasure of even seeing before. After a few hours out and the boat had got ten into full swing some of the boys began to feel as if every friend in the world had desert- ed them q being among them) and went to the rail and began
 
 deserting themselves to q cer- tain extent. For 9 few days mess call or the smell of food would make us turn pale but we 7 soon got over it. The greatest pleasure of the trip was to sleep outside-on deck-in our issued hammocks-although We were disturbed by the salty water that splashed over the deck up on us. We had several days of pretty weather and some that were cold and rough-the latter causing us to stay inside or get wet by the large waves splash
 ing over the decks. One after noon about three o'clock when everyone was reading and writ ing we heard a muffied explo- sion and felt a great jar. Every one hurried to the deck ready to go to the life boats, and the water all around was almost covered with submarine chasers and destroyers. There were anany great explosions as the depth bombs were dropped from the chasers, for a subma- rine was there and had shot the boat next to us with torpedo but luckily there was little dam age done and no lives lost as far as 1 could hear later. The submarine chasers soon de- stroyed the U Boat after we were out of sight. We finally arrived in Le HarVe, a western port of France, on the 9th day of September, none the worse for our trip-but wishing to see land and a change of diet, and Delieve me we got it-for we had brew, tea and British sub ,stitute called bloater paste for supper at this rest camp.
 We stayed one day at the rest camp and then started on our way again but this time in box cars that read "8 Horses or 40 Men" and it was at this time that we wished to be horses, be- cause we thought we would have more room as you know french cars are small compared to ours. But we were all Tn good spirits and prepared to make the best of it so we piled in as happy as 3 bunch Of kids going to a picnic. The fellows on top could sleep very we'll that is if he could stand to hear the cries of the guy under him. One Bohemian, very