The Ravalli Republican., 1898-08-17
r TOUGH TINE.
The Trip of the First Montana-The Ship
Was Worse Than Hog Car.

The Trip of the First Montana-The Ship
was Worse Than a Hog Car.
The following letter from per-
sonal friend en- route to Manila with
the First Montana was received this
week, and gives the hard side Of the
soldiers life on long journey across
the seas:
Honolulu, July 81, 1898.
Editor Ravnlli Republicans:
The First Montana is now safe at
this point, after 4 nine days voyage
from San Francisco. We got here
three days ago in good order, physi-
cally, with the exception that all the
men were weak from lack Of nourish-
ment on the voyage.
A large number were sea sick at
first, but that soon wore off, and then
the discovery was made that the
quartermaster expected us to get
along on considerable less than half
rations. We stood this "a hours,
when the men made very vigorous
protest at headquarters, during
which some of the hot-heads coun-
seled the throwing overheard OF
Quartermaster Scadorf. Fortunately
cooler counsels prevailed, and the
crowd dispersed on the promise of
Lieut.. Col. Wallace to s''e that They
got their dues in the matter. He
next day he took the issue Of ratiuns
out OF the quartermaster's hands:
with the result that we got fully
twice as much to eat as before. Even
this, however, was entirely INSULT
cient, and there never was a meal on
board where the men had enough te
eat, and they now report loss in
weight during the trip Of from to
IS pounds each.
For breakfast each morning we
got half a pint of what was called
"stew," but which was in reality
soup containing a little meat and
potato. With this each man got a
two-ouEce biscuit and coffee. This
was our entire bread issue for the
day. For dinner we got less than a
pint of soup, meat the size Of a good
sized hens egg and potato slightly
larger, and coffee. For supper full
half pint Of beans with perhaps an
ounce of fat bacon-not more than
that, and usually not so much-and
coffee.
Men who were gentlemen when
they left became perfectly animal
and scrambled for their food like
dogs. Fights would have been fire..
quent had it not been that an Officer
: was always present at meal time
: We always had plenty OF hard-tack
: and while this is not very good, still
we could have used it had it not beer
musty and made every one sick wh(
: ate it. Some of it was absolutel,
: blue with mould and all of it was un
: eata BILE. All this time there wa
six months provisions in the hold
and the whole regiment knew it. A.
, a consequence the morale Of the regi
! ment is not nearly So good as it wa
:. when We started.
= The Pennsylvania is capable 0
! ! carrying 500 passengers, though the.
u would be dreadfully crowded. Their
were 1 400 Of US crowded on her, ant
the result may be imagined in part
though it must be experienced to b
i fully appreciated. Most of US slep
T. down in the hold, SO near the waite
line that the portfolios, nearly 1T tn
j ceiling, could not be opened for fea
the water would come in and sWana
the vessel. Bunks were arranged il
u three tiers about "a inches apart
Il Each tier contained five hunks, sid
G by side, the ships side forming TIL
= side Of the back one. Two sucI
l. tiers, containing 80 bunks, made
u section. A passage 50 narrow tina
y two men could not pass in it gave ac
e cess. Both sides Of the ship Wer
u fitted in this manner, and on tn
q stern end the sections were two deel
q 1t was worse than any double-dec
IS hog car. On deck we were so crowd
> ed that all the men could not eat a
4 one time. Owing to her crowde
condition the ship could not cleaned
y and the stencil when we arrived wa
u awful. If we had been another wee
% at sea nothing could have saved u
J. from pestiIence.
Is People here are trying to brin
u pressure to bear to have some me
y taken off before we start on our Ion
l. journey through the tropics, Bri9
le Gen. Otis, however,, is supreme, an
Ill from present indications will not a
e low anything of the kind to be done
ie Any deaths which occur will lie q
H. his door. He is unpopular here fro1
aC other inhuman things he is reporte
III to have done, but don't know as
H. the truth ct the reports.
al We have a few sick men on boart
III but astonshingly few, everythin
rs considered. If we don't get ar
rough weather between here an
10 Manila we may get through all righ