Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-04
LETTER FROM HONOLULU.
Wheeling Soldier Writes Home En-
Route to Manila.

QUub6 w M0ull0s
UNITED STATES SOLDIERS WE'RE
ENTHUSIASTICALL RECEIVED
AT HONOLULU COMPLIMENT
AIRY DINNER FOR THEM-INCI-
DENTS ON BOARD THE TRANS
PORT STEAMER CITY OF PARA.
IMPRESSIONS OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS BY HARRY VANKEU-
rem.
Charles E. vanlKeuren, of this city,
has received a very interesting letter
from his brother Harry, dated at Hon
clulu. Harry VanKeuren made his
home in Wheeling, until about year
ago, when he located in st. Paul. He
enlisted in a company of the Mime
sofa Volunteer Infantry, and the regi-
ment to which he belonged, was order
ed to Manila some time ago. A portion
of his letter was written on board the
City of Para, 400 miles from Honolulu,
on June Bird. Following is the sub
stance of the letter:
I'VE did not expect to go on board
the City of Para until Monday, but
orders were received to embark Sum-
day. Monday at twelve o'clock we
pulled out into the stream from the
dock, and at three in the afternoon we
steamed out of the harbor, while all
the steam whistles in the harbor kept
up a constant footing. The Benning-
ton was at anchor in the bay, and she
fired a salute as we went by. There
are four vessels in our feet, the Nor
gan City, Chic, Indiana, and City of
Para. None of the others are in sight
now, as we have the fastest boat, and
were given orders to go ahead and wait
for the others at Honolulu. We will
arrive at Honolulu about noon Tues
day.
-Four gun boats are to accompany
us to Manila from Honolulu, of which
two are now there, the Monterey and
Mcnadnock The other two, the
Bennington and the Philadelphia, are
still at Frisco, and we will have to
wait for them. Gen. Merritt is to fol-
low on the Newport, which was to
leave Frisco the Wednesday following
the day we left. Our ship, the City of
Para, will arrive at Honolulu at least
4S hours ahead of the rest of the fleet.
l understand that we are booked for a
bigger reception at Honolulu than the
first expedition got. We got the big
gest kind of a send-off when we left
San Francisco.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July,
the first l have ever spent on water,
and l sincerely hope it will be the last.
1t will not be a very enjoyable one
for me, for l have been in the hospital
two days with neuralgia, with good
prospects for remaining a few days
longer While there, l get better food
than l have yet had, but that is not
saying much We have not Jared well
in that respect. We are allowed 81
cents a day for rations, and at no time
have the rations came up to that cost.
Lieut.. Meso has opened a sutler store
on board, and some of the, boys have
invested considerable money with him
T ~ ilya coola IF r1rtanc an6
therefore did not buy.
Il took your advice about the lem
ons. I bought three dozen before
left Frisco, ate all of them, and l was
not sick at ALL 1 was one of only
about fifty who were not sick.
1--WE were given our tropical suits
to-day, consisting of blouse and trous-
ers of brown duck, and very heavy.
After we get to Manila, we are to get
two suits of white duck for garrison
wear, and the brown is for field wear.
We are also to get cork helmets, as
our hats are too warm"
What follows was written by Private
VanKeuren after reaching Honolulu,
under date of July 7th:
81 have been so busy running around
Honolulu that | have not had an OPP
portunity to write until now. We ar
rived here on Tuesday last, and
to say am glad to get
around on old mother earth once more,
is putting it very mildly. We arrived
outside the harbor about two o'clock
the night before, where we anchored
until $50 in the n orning, when we
pulled up to the dock.
After breakfast, we were given
shore leave, which we were very eager
to avail ourselves of. We spent the
day in running about the town. l was
in the palace of the former Queen Lii,
also in the State buildings. On We'd
nesday evening we were given dinner
at the palace grounds, to which our en-
tire regiment, with a regiment from
North Dakota, and two battalions of
regulars. in all pretty close TO three
thousand men, were served. The din
ner was the finest l have eaten since
l joined the army.
THE tables were set on the palace