The Tunnel Nightmare

MONDAY, July 25th, our day of departure had come. The

one hundred and fifty who were leaving, had to be up at 4.00 o’clock in the morning. It was still dark. The remaining men were up to bid farewell. Ambulances took the boys to the railroad station some distance away. Thirtyvtwo boys were waiting for the last two ambulances. They heard the noise of the motors as the ambulances swung around the corner, but they were not fooled. The noise came from planes approaching overhead, to kill and cripple the already crippled. That noon, after we had gone, we learned that another bomr bardment of the hospital had taken place, but fortunately they did no damage.

Passing through Figueras on the train, we were met at the station by a military band and a guard of honor. The women brought soft drinks and flowers into the train for the anti»fas' cist fighters who were leaving their heroic country. After an hour’s wait at Port Bou, the border station, the train started again. A tunnel from the station connects Spain with France. In half a minute we entered the tunnel. We were leaving be— hind a country at war, where no place is safe from the destruc’ tion o-f fascist planes. We were entering a country whose people were giving widespread support to the struggle of their heroic neighbor.

The train moved slowly into the tunnel and soon we saw the daylight at the other end. The train slowed down and stopped. After a couple of minutes it backed into the tunnel. As time passed, the smoke from the engine made its way int.» the coaches where there were thirteen stretcher cases. as number of men on crutches and some cases of bad heart. Before long, there was no fresh air.

Four hours slowly went by and we remained in the tunnel! We surmised that something had happened on the French side and we were not being permitted to enter France. By five o’clock in the afternoon we had had nothing to eat for thirteen hours, and still we waited very quietly, yielding to. no provocations; discipline was maintained wonderfully by all

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