August 1, 1944 Back in New Haven, The Train Trip and The July Heat

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Here we are at home once more.  I still can't believe a whole month could go so fast but I guess it's because we had such a wonderful time.  Our trip back was really nice.  I guess Buddy told you we didn't get to Union Station in time for lunch so we ate on the train in the diner.  Everything on the train was really nice.  The seats were comfortable and every car was air conditioned.  We were about an hour and a half late getting to New York so it was noon by the time we got in.  Since we can get a train every hour from New York to New Haven we went downtown and spent the afternoon.  It was about 7:30 when we got home.  The apartment was cool and didn't smell musty after being shut up.  We didn't have a lot of mail--mostly old Mirrors that we had read at home.

Yesterday morning I washed some woodwork while B chased around paying the rent and getting our baggage and then we unpacked yesterday afternoon.  We made a cleaning too while we were at it and threw out a lot of junk that has accumulated while we've been here.

We had a bit of excitement on the trip back.  Our train hit a young man and broke his arm.  It was just out of Terre Haute, Ind., and he didn't see us coming because he was watching a freight train.

It's terribly hot here and they say that July was the hottest July in 70 yrs.

Mother, I hope you got home all right and aren't too tired.  Daddy, how are you and Nannie.  Ha!  Write when you can--soon."

                                              Lots of love,

                                                           B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  If you were to travel by train from New Haven to St. Louis this July, 2012,  the trip would take 32 hours--the same amount of time it took B & Bonnie in July, 1944.  Local train transportation between New Haven and New York as Bonnie mentioned was convenient with hourly service.  American rail travel peaked in 1944 due to wartime rationing of gasoline and tires. 

"The New Haven" for local travel:
Of all the rail companies, The New Haven Railroad probably had the most impact on the early history of rail in America.

Founded in 1872, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company was the result of a merger between the New York and Hartford and New Haven Railroads. More commonly known as the New Haven, this rail company and its many owners and managers set out and succeeded in expanding its reach to become the biggest transportation entity in the Northeast. This was achieved through a series of acquisitions and mergers of rail lines and track miles, steamship, trolley and truck companies. The New Haven, at one time, even pondered entering the airline business. In the rail industry, The New Haven acquired 25 railroad companies and over 2,000 miles of track, offering passenger and freight service in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The latest technology was always of interest to the company, which was the only entity to operate steam, diesel and electric trains simultaneously.  Quoted directly from:  http://www.south-station.net/Station-History/NewHaven

The war news of the day was the beginning of the Warsaw uprising:

The Warsaw Uprising

August 1, 1944 - October 2, 1944

by Łukasz Pajewski

The Warsaw Uprising was probably the largest single operation organized and executed by a partisan organization in World War II. It lasted two months, and when it was over, 200 thousand people were dead, and the entire city was in ruins. In trying to achieve its goals, the uprising was a terrible failure. In showing the courage and the dedication of the Polish nation, it was a remarkable success.  For complete article:  http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/classroom/pajak.html

For excellent photographs, see the link below:
http://www.warsawuprising.com/