The boat was a good, stable French liner...

One hundred years ago today Grant Willard set sail for France and a life-altering experience.

THE S.S. CHICAGO was not a massive ocean liner of the day like RMS Titanic or Lusitania. At 508 feet she was little more than half the length of the ill-fated Titanic, and not nearly as fast. Still, she was a pretty ship. Hull painted black and superstructure white, she had twin screws, twin masts and twin funnels painted in the French Line colors of red capped in black. She had room for 360 second-class passengers and twice that number in third class. In those days the CGT (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique) made money shipping thousands of immigrants to America in steerage class. Sailing first between Le Havre and New York, and then Bordeaux and New York, the Chicago transported passengers adequately if not opulently. Then along came World War I and her voyages became more dangerous and less profitable. She had to contend with raiding German U-boats and much fewer passengers willing to risk an Atlantic crossing. Her hair-raising trips were often reported in The New York Times: FRENCH LINER ESCAPES SUBMARINES or a similar headline was not uncommon. Such was the Chicago’s condition when she set sail from New York’s Pier 57 at West 15th Street on May 19, 1917, with 325 young American volunteer ambulance drivers aboard including Grant Willard.

He wrote to his mother before sailing:

May 19, 1917

Dear Mother:-

All red-tape completed. Am aboard. Lillian, Adell Pattison, and Dot saw me off. Everything is aboard and I am feeling fine. Tish Libby and Paul Hoerr are here also. Don’t know who my cabin partner will be.

The last two weeks have been wonderful, Mother. They ought to keep me satisfied for a long time. I will be glad when 6 mos. are up and I promise you that if I can conscientiously do so I shall be in America again in December.

Please keep well and happy and don't worry. The boat is a good, stable French liner. 

In his private journal he wrote:

Saturday, May 19:

Met Dorothy at Martha Washington about 9 A.M. and we went right down to the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Pier 57 where I got my baggage inspected. Then we sent downtown to the offices of the French lines where I got some more French paper money, and accidentally met Paul Hoerr who was making final preparations to going over with us this afternoon. Dot and I then went over to the Aquarium at the Battery and from there to Wall Street where considerable excitement was taking place over non-listed stocks. It being about lunch time we went to a quiet little café‚ for our final meal together. It was a good meal, but I couldn’t put much enthusiasm into it. It surely was hard to realize that all our happiness of the past two weeks was about to conclude for 6 months.

At the pier we met Lillian Hutchinson and Adele Pattison. After a short visit I bade them good-bye and with Paul Hoerr, boarded the good French liner Chicago at 1:46 P.M. The girls all left. About 3:40 the gang planks were pulled and we were pushed out into the Hudson River. Many, many people were on the pier waiving [sic] all kinds of flags and handkerchiefs. It was a sight which would make any man’s blood sing for awhile. The English ship Mongolia sailed out about 15 minutes before we did with a load of American Army officers and nurses on board. I didn’t envy them their trip, but surely hope they get through O.K.

Tish Libby, Paul Hoerr and myself got deck chairs together and most of the rest of today was spent on deck. We eat in divisions. Paul Hoerr and I eat second service which means lunch at 12:00 and dinner at 7:15 with breakfast anywhere from 6 to 8:30 A.M. The meals so far have been excellent with usually 3 meats and a couple of vegetables, French bread & cheese & plenty of red and white wine.

My roommate is a William Sloan of New York. About 30 years old, married, two children, architect receiving education in Paris. Speaks French fluently and is very nice. He got two big baskets of fruit given him and has told me it was mine whenever I wanted it.