OCR Text |
Show SALT LAKERS WRITE FROM NEAR FRENCH FIRING LINE Daniel Y. Spencer and Henry Wallace Give Experience Ex-perience in Ambulance Service at Scene of Actual Warfare. OT from the firing line on the T T French battJe fronts have come i I"! two letterB of more than usual X X interest, one of them being from Daniel Y. Spencer, son of John D. Spencer, the other from Henry Wallace, Wal-lace, son o "W. R. Wallace of this city. Both boys left Salt Lake recenlly avS members of the Salt Lake unit of the American field ambulance eervine in France and are now ensaged in actual hospital work, ti'anaportin? tlie wounded from the trenches to the eick wards of the base hospital?. As described in the letter from Henry Wallace there are three pote-de-secours between the French trenches and the base hospital. The first one is at a distance dis-tance of one kilometer, the second at three and the third at five. The first poste-de-secours, or help station, described de-scribed in the letter is cut down into the rocks on the side of a hill and contains an opera ting- room, dininj? mom, sleeping sleep-ing chambers end offices. The wounded are brought to this station by stretcher bearers. At the proper sltrnal tlie niaji at the first station conveys the wounded man to the second post and from there to the third, where he deposits his wounded charge and returns to the first pot. Tills cycle is continued for the entire twenty-four hours. Five automobiles are required in the process and these are re- lieved every three days. j Carried by Stages. The hunk house in the second noste-de-secours is constructed under the surface of the ground and ia provided with a bomb-proof concrete roofing and concrete con-crete steps. The roads leading from the trenches to the poste-de-secours are concealed con-cealed from aviators by means of a camouflage. cam-ouflage. Often, the writer goes on to say, canvas is stretched over the roads and the troops marched under. More often, however, artificial scenery is :ir-ranged :ir-ranged aions the side of tlie road to keep it concealed from the enemy aviators. Carrier pigeons, bearing messages tied about their necks, are extensively employed em-ployed by the French. These fly over into the German territory and If ca p-tured p-tured by Frenchmen or the owner in the French territory occupied by Germans, messages are returned which otten contain con-tain valuable information as to the movements move-ments of the Germans. The barracks are described as be;n'5 very" comfortable. The kitchens for the French soldiers are dog-outs in the side.4; of hills a.nd have a small porch in -front covered by vegetation. They are said to be remarkable for their cleanliness. The food is good and tasty. The menu consists con-sists ot meat, potatoes, carrots. jarrfi fruit, soup and bread. The fruit ts at tlie ripe season and is very plentiful. . According to their letters, the boys liHve seen some interesting battles in tlie air. The Germans, they write, fly rec-lessh- over the French trenches and fired' upon bv dozens of anti-airfrart guns when thev drop within range. On such an occasion the entire sky is filled with puffs of black and white smoke. But it is Feldom that the hostile airplane Is brought down. The air visitors seem to j come for information alone and practi- : cally never drop bombs. j Dan Spencer, in company with Richard Goss. also of Salt Lake, had a thrilling experience during a bombardment. The bovs had just finished repairing a tfe 1 when thv heard a shrieking whistle . which lasted three or four seoonds. T!iis was followed by an immense explosion. : One of the boys crouched down to the earth and pulled out his handkerchief as a Ehm of truce. They were all as pale as death, Mr. Spencer writes. In the space or two minutes trie same sound occurred the whistle of the shell through the air and the terrific explosion. The bombardment continued for an hour and a half. It is necessary that the hospital man wear a steel helmet constantly and keep 3iia gas mask always by his side ready i for instant use. Early in the morning a i bugle was blown as a signal lo get under cover. A minute or so later ihe boys saw , a German plane above them. The signal , was blown twice during the day. ; Dead Man Uncovered. Mr. Spencer writes as follows: 1 There was a small house about three feet from our car. where I could see the legs of a inan apparently sleeping on a stretcher. The camp was thoroughly awake, with the ex-cepi'.on ex-cepi'.on of this one man. Some soldiers sol-diers started Into the house and I thought I would see some fun seeing this lazy fellow pulled out of bed. It was still somewhat dark inside and I leaned over to see them take the covers from his face. I aha M never forget the sight and the surprise. The man was dead. His face and uniform wire covered with blood. He had died the night before from a shot in the stomach. ' The soldiers had gone in to tag liis body before burying him. If is understood that steps are being taken to merge the American field ambulance ambu-lance service into the regular United States government service. This will mean that the boys will receive regular pay As it is now, they are paying their ov. u expenses. Mr. Wallace mentions ihe fact in his letter that the boj;s will be given the choice of re-enllstlng or returning re-turning home in case the anticipated move is made. Most of the boys, he said. wiTi undoubtedly remain in the service. Under date of September 6, Henry WaMace writes that the war will end be-foro be-foro the American troops land In France. He added that lie expecte 1 to return home shortly in time to enter the fall term of school. He did not state the, reasons for his belief that the war would end in so short a time. |