The evening times., 1898-06-18
SAILORS QUIT THE SCOUT sH1Fs
Complain They Were Not Enlisted
to Fisht the Spnninrds.


to Fight the Spnninrds.
New York. June 1S.-About 100 men.
former members of the crews of the aux
iliary cruisers Yale and Harvard, have
arrived here from Newport News, Va.
within the last two days on the steam
ships Old Dominion and jamestown.
Both cruisers are now at Newport News
| receiving heavier armament
When the crews of the American lin
| ers St. Louis, Paris and New York were
| shipped here for a years cruise in the
service of the Government the men ex-
pected the vessels would be employed on
patrolling and not on fighting duty. Many
of the men are subjects of the Queen
ceive in addition to their wages so per
cent at the expiration of the cruise for
good behavior they considered the pro-
posaI a piece of good fortune.
Now that there are reports of dispatch
ing the American Liners as part of fly
ing squadron to harrass the Spanish coast,
and as the additional armament on the
ST. Louis. the Yale and the Harvard gave
u semblance of truth to these reports.
many members of the crews have taken a
stand against further service on the aux
iliary cruisers. Coupled with their objec-
ton to the smell of gunpowder are COM
plants of poor food, foul drinking water
long hours and curtailed privileges. Fred
erick Jones. until recently master-at-arms
on the Yale, speaking for his mates, said
AT Newport News we were urged to
enlist in the Navy and give up our places
with the American Line and all the ad-
Vantages We were to receive from the
line. During our cruise We have had to
eat spoiled meat and sour bread. The
water We had TO drink was rain, piped
fran the scuppers into hogsheads. The
meat called fresh was put aboard on April
80 We asked for salt horse and hard
tack in preference, but didn't get them.
Il am an American but | don't want 10
be forced TO enlist in the service of the
Government while l am doing all right
on a merchantmen. My pay on the
American liner Paris $45 a month.
but if l enlisted / would only get So a
month. The boatswain would get the
same wages, although his pay in the en-
ploy of the American line was 800 a
month";
William Sleightman who was a fire.
man on the Yale. said he was to receive
$3.50 a month, but only got s35. He was
informed that the men were 10 get their
bonus of 80 per cent only after the eX-
pirat!on of the year for which they ship
ped. Sleishtman made the same COM
plants against the food and water. The
canned goods. he said. either went to the
officers or the marines.
Others were disgruntled because they
never knew when their duties We're over.
and because the rules Were much more
rigid than when the cruisers were me--
chantmen.
Sleightman said the Yale had been fired
on three times in San Juan. One shot
struck a short distance ahead. another
fell 100 feet aStern. while a third flew over
the vessels tunnels. The Yale then pro-
ceeded to Santiago, where she took in
tow the collier Merrimac, preparatory to
her sinking across ne neck of the harbor
The Golfers air rs were disabled, he
declared
AT the office of tie American line. which
has charge of the crews of the St Louis
the Yale, and the Harvard, il was said
the men who had left the cruisers were
chronic kickers,' and their story of bad
treatment and food unfounded. The line
is having no trouble to find men to take
the places of the dissatisfied ones.