The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-17
CAMP WERTS STRUCK
Lightning Plays Havoc With
the Fourth Regiment
E%ncampment.
fNsx;sG xs.sa -
THE BOYS DRENCHED TO THE SKIN
The Gun Detachment Making Fine
soldiers-A New Weather
Prophet.
spcc;a1 to the Jsrseu Cap Wears.

I CAMP WERTS, SEA ,GIRT. July 10,
1S95.-When Jupiter Pluvius opened the
sluice gates of heaven this morning
and released a miniature flood, the
member of the Fourth Regiment were
sleeping peacefully, totally oblivious OF
the fact that it was raining, but tney
did not remain in this condition long.
The rain first made its appearance at
a quarter to one o'clock, but it was
hardly more han a drizzle. AL nan
past five o'clock, however, the rain began
to come down in bucketfuls. SO heaNy'
was the shower that the sleeping GUARDS
men, upon being awakened by the petit
ing of the big rain drops on the can
vas TENTS, first thought the camp haa
been besieged by an enemy. Flfteen
minutes after the downpour set IN IN
earnest, and the inhabitants OF Ihe
White City were hard al work trying to
prevent the rain from flowing into the
tents.
Their efforts in this direction
however, We're fruitless. When the
tents were erected there must have been
a scarcity of pegs, for very few tents
have all that are necessary to hoid
down the side walls firmly to the
ground As a result, the rain swept
in under the walls, flooding the hoors
and saturating the field sacks. the cloth
ing and other articles of the occupants.
Many of the tents leaked badly, anu
the National Guardsmen had but one
a~lternativ and that was to grin and
bear it. The breakfast call gave them
the much needed relief, however, for
then they were able to enjoy better
comfort in the mess halls. The Sun
@.-L---x --.- fo,oAl IN weather fha
storm when the hour for firing the
sunrise gun and hosting the colors ar
rived. The -cannoneers were a pitiable
sight when they returned from their
duty. They were soaked through to
the skin, and as they had no dry quar-
tiers to retreat to they were not to be
enyied. The rain, however, did not
phase Lieutenant Pringle's boys. they
having received their Initiation in the
rain storm attending the opening of
camp on Saturday.
LETTERS FOR THE FOLKS lat HOME
After breakfast the guardsmen return
ed to ther tents and made good use OF
the opportunity TO write letters TO
friends at home, while those not thus
engaged either played cards or tried to
sleep. By half past ten o'clock the
black clouds began TO part and soon
after the welcome sun came out hot and
strong. The tents were thrown wide
open, and the field sacks, blankets and
other contents laid on the grass to dry
The camp presented a strange scene
while. this was going on. The change
from the well kept to the disordered
streets would have made a visitor think
that an evacuation was about to take
place. The rain CAV the boys a rest
during the morning, the drills of the
First n Second Battalfons being post
poned. The guard mount took place at
the scheduled hour during the severest
portion of the downpour. The guard
mount was very satisfactory, and q big
reliefs were posted and the sentries al
lowed to wear their fatigue caps and
AS soon as the sky cleared Captain
Springsted secured permission for the
marksmen of the First Battalion to COM
and three hundred yard ranges. The
marksmen occupied the ranges until
half-past one o'clock. when the Second
took possession. Volley firing by com
panies and a skirmish run were held,
but before the latter was completed an
other shower. arrived, and the skirmish,,
ers, after being dismissed, made record
time in the run to camp. Most of them
had left their field sacks. blankets and
Ooh Ia tAS ~
was a race between them and the rain
to see which would get there first. Once
in their company streets the men worked
like beavers to save their bedding from
being saturated. Tent flaps were shut
dow and securely tied. The rain came
down even more heavily than in the
morning and pools and miniature lakes
began to form in the company streets.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
The second deluge lasted two hours
and the men were content to remain in
their tents meanwhile. AS the Gun De-
tachment started at half.past five o'clock
to fire the sunset gun, it looked as though
there would be no more rain for the day,
no sooner did the Detachment start
on its way acrc,ts the parade ground
then down came Ieluge No. 8. The wind
coming in the opposite direction swept
the rain, into the faces of the cannon
GERS and before they reached the Bril-
gade Headquarters they were drenched
TO the skin for the second time. Lieu
tenant Pringle LED the Detachment out
to its post. After the howitzer announced
the official sunset the Detachment sought