Antares (AK 258) - Naval Cruise Book

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SICILY by v. L. AUSTFJORD As luck would have it our ship approached Augusta Bay at. twilight. It wasn't until the next morning that the famous Mount Etna was seen, av rare and breathtaking sight. The mountain is 11,000 feet high and completely dominates the island of Sicily w1th its majestic beauty. Augusta and Syracuse for many aboard was the first liberty in Europe. As soon as the ship anchored, the. ' bum boats appeared off the fantail. The pickings were poor and most of the crew decided to save their money for souve- nirs that could be obtained on the beach. Augusta was a poor liberty town, AKOURY, PRICE, WAGNER, AND MORRISON agree to that. Tours to Syracuse were organized and over eighty men made the trips. Not many sailors went ashore in Augusta. The road to Syracuse was rougher than the rocky road to Dublin. The bus driver paid no attention to road signs and streaked through the country side at a rapid pace. The people riding horse drawn carts and bicycles paid little attention as the bus weaved in and out - narrowly missing them -- all the while the driver was blasting away on the horn. This, however, is typical of Italian driving. WARNER, MILLER, BROWNING, WITCHEY, THACKER, BARANY, and WELCH were not accus- tomed to such reckless driving and their faces showed it. The first attraction was the Roman arena. Before the party left the bus they were engulfed by at least a hundred and fifty enterprising business men offering rare bargains 'in diamonds, watches, pistols. For instance Joe Cusl could purchase from Pizan Ctheml after a little bargaining, a genuine fifty carat diamond ring, or a 21 jewel wrist watch for a few dollars. The men finally found refuge inside the arena. Near the arena is THE GRO'I'I'O THAT CAN SPEAK. It is carved in the shape of the inside of an ear. The resonance at the entrance is so great that a whisper is amplified to sound like a shout. Close to the Ear is the Grotto of the Rope ,Maker. It is. smaller and it has been used since the Fifth Century as a factory for making linen rope, and by descendents of the same family. One of the more ancient decendents of the long line of ropemakers was exchanging pieces of his line for cigarettes. The Catacombs were next visited. Compared to those in Rome, 'Syracuse's catacombs were a disappointment. Lunch was held at a fashionable hotel. Drinking was heartily discouraged before this time but during lunch the O. K. was given for a little wine with the meal. This opportunity was utilized the fullest by those of A the more Epicurean natures. The bus ride back was short and the crew arrived at the dock a tired but a happy group. However, the group wasn't quite as large as it started out to be. It seems that two enthusiastic seamen liked the tour so much they decided to prolong their visit. After spending a most enjoyable time in one of the local taverns, the Shore Patrol made arrangements for their return trip. Upon their arrival the pair was granted an audience with the Executive Officer, who in turn deemed the matter to be of sufficient merit to interest the Captain. Shortly afterwards arrange- ments were made for this interview. . Two members of the crew were injured during off loading operations. TSARNAS, G. J., SA fractured his left arm and. left foot when he fell while working in number five hold. TSARNAS was transferred to the U. S. S. MIDWAY for treatment. BUNYAN, D. R., BM3 suffered palnful bruises from a fall into number two hold but was treated aboard and returned to duty after a short stay in sick bay.

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