Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-05-28
M. s.. IS. RAIrIMnPr.
Hone KoNe, China, April %

A1ONO NUM- 0HiIfAt Apfil ~
Dear Arthur: We left Honolulu the
25th of March for this port and st0ppep
four days in Yokohama, Japan, for coal.
We were fifteen days from Honolulu to
Yokohama. | received letters and pa
pers there from my sister. We we're
not allowed any liberty in Yokohoma
so / only saw the city from the harbor.
| have not time to describe Yokohama
or to dwell on the short time we STAYED
there, simply to say we were ordered to
proceed to Hong Kong with all possible
haste, for the fleet was all there waiting
for us, to get the ammunition we had
for them The distance from Honolulu
to Yokohama is 3,40s miles and from
Yokohama to Hong Kong is 1900 miles
six days run. We passed through
the inland sea and through the Straits
of Formosa, arriving in Hong Kong last
Friday the 22nd. We did not know our
own ships when we got here We ex-
pected to see our pretty white squadron.
instead we saw some great monsters all
painted for war, indeed they all had
their war paint on ready for battle. Sat-
urday morning we went into the dry
dock to get our bottom scraped and
painted and when we came out this
morning we were also painted for war.
1t was not like the pretty white Balti-
more when we went into dock. The
paint Is put on so the enemy can not
distinguish us for an easy mark as would
be If we were all white. We have the
same color the Japs and Cinnamon had
in their late war. Chinese coolies
worked hard all last night to get our
bottom cleaned and painted. We came
over this morning and joined the fleet
again. The English authorities came
over to the flag ship this morning and
advised US to leave port as one or two
Spanish dispatch boats are here and it
is the custom for all ships In case OF war
to get out of friendly port, so thtea OF
the ships left this afternoon, and the rest
will go tomorrow morning early. We
are now taking on coal as fast as the
coolies can possibly shovel This fleet
consists of the Olympia. flag ship; Bal
timore, Raleigh, Boston, Petrol, McCul-
Tough and two transport ships with coal
to follow US, which makes total Of Z
men OF war and two transports. The
Boston, Concord Petrol and Mccullough
left this afternoon, and the Olympia,
Baltimore and Raleigh will leave early
in the morning. We will only 60 out
side about 30 miles to wait for orders.
Everything is hurry all over the ship.
We have some good ships here and
think we can take Manila easily. All
our opposition will lie in the Philippine
Islands 600 miles south OF here. Spain
has some very good ships there and the
harbor is well fortified. We did not have
time to transfer the ammunition to the
other ships we brought down for them.
have not time to describe the place or
Japan now. Will do SO in next letter.
There are several men of war here of
English, French. German and Russian
ships. More foreign fleets are at Corea
and Port Arthur. The mail will be here
from the States next Saturday and mail
leaves here day after tomorrow for the
States. would like very much to hear
all the news from home. You may bet
/ never have been in SO much excite
ment before and only hope we do have
war so as to see what we can do with
our guns. We have drill at the great
guns now every morning and afternoon.
Only give US a show atSpain and don't
think they will stay long.
Yours, FRANK.