The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1919-01-09
TWAS AN EXCITIN'
VOYAGE
CONTINUED from Page y

farther and farther into the DANCE
zone and still nothing but the battle
ship to guard us. Those were tn,
days that we spent all our time look
ing out Of the portfolios, hoping to se'
tks feet of destroyers that were t.
come to meet as. But day after da,
none showed up--nothing in sight but
the cold, cold sea, and it looked colder
and blacker every turn Of the wheel
Christmas eve, just at dark, two
blasts Of the siren were blown and all
the ships stopped. Three blasts meant
to abandon ship, 80 after the second
blast we held our breath for about
one hour 1t seemed. During that wait
between the second blast and the wait
for the third blast, some one got ner-
vous and knocked his mess kit from
. top bunk onto the concrete floor.
Whewi | never heard anything make
such racket in all my life. We could
actually feel the ship give one gasp,
then sink, and we were all 1t the bot
tom Of the sea! A great silence fol.
lowed. and then = stage whisper from
out Of the darkness calculated, mine
Gott, what was that" The voice was
10 scary that 1t finally drew . laugh
from the crowd which grew in volume
TO . roar As we realized that it WAS
only tin mess kit. Reports say that
the blasts from the siren and the
stopping Of the ships was due to the
instruments in the ships showing that
submarine was within 800 yards Of
the vessels, but no one knows except
the ships officers as to the real facts.
At 8 o'clock that evening full speed
ahead was given and away we went
for the coast Of France. Christmas
day, when we awoke. there were the
destroyers, about 80 Of them, on all
sides Of the ship, the most welcome
sight that ever Uncle Sam gave to
any boy, and more appreciated then
than all the Christmas presents Santa
Claus could bring. The next day the
convoy split up, three transports GO
ing to St. Nazaire and four going to
Brest, our ship going to the latter
port with 15 destroyers.
That day we sighted land and about
IL that morning large feet Of air
planes came out to meet us and watch |
for subs. This was very unusual and
we couldn't account for 1t until we
joined some Of the boys who had gone
to ST. Nazaire, and they gave us the
story Of their trip. We reached Brest
about 8 that afternoon and remained
in the harbor until the day of the Slst,
when we set foot on French soil, so
we can say that we landed in France
in 1917.
We reached the dock at 10 that
and were held there until
in the afternoon, when we were
through the city and to the
depot. We were turned loose in small
punches and allowed to go up town to
get supper, for we had had nothing
TO eat since early that morning and
we were mighty hungry.
Strong drink was not denied US then
IS 1t is now, and many Of the boys
thought they could down big amount
If booze just because it tasted so
weak and went down SO easy, but they
,oon found out their mistake. The
rain pulled out at o'clock that night
md we were packed 40 deep in those
'amous French box cars. II was snow
ng, cold rs blazes. all doors and win
lows shut, no one allowed outside to
ret exercise or warm up, and there
We stayed, eating corn wooley and
lard tack and just barely keeping
ror, freezing To death. So you can
imagine what welcome sight 1t was
ghen we reached LaCortine late in
he afternoon Of the second day. and ,
,ere marched to the big stone bar
acks and assigned to warm rooms,
Nth fire in each room. a cot to ,
leep on, cold. tired, hungry, down. 9
earted and dirty. LaCortine is To- 4
ated near Clermont Province.
But still our hardships were not
yer, for Uncle Sam had a mighty 9
mall supply Of eats on hand that
inter and for weeks and weeks we
we'd on nothing but cold beef and I
ardtack. II was great day when q
'e first had bread; it was a great day
hen we received shipment Of beans |
nd ii was greater day when we had y
resh beef for dinner. But II all came I
radually. and kept getting better and Q
etter all the time, until this spring Y
70 had plenty Of everything. But the
oys who were in France during the
inter Of i9l7-lS will never forget it.
A few days later the bunch who I
nd gone by way of st. Nazaire joined
5 and we heard the story of their
-ip. About 10 o'clock u. m. Of the
ay they left us they were attacked t
v u submarine and after running 4
ght got the sub, and a few minutes o
ter they were surrounded by air a