Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-03-26
OUR NOBLE TARS.
Story Of a Notable Trip with a Party
of Detroit Schooma' ANS
A MAN-o-wAR's crew is n good


length of time," said a naval officer.
"That is, unless something remarkable
turns up to put the curb on them. l
saw this fact eNempliiied u few years
ago in q singular and rather humorous
wny.
II was attached to vessel stationed
at Honolulu when the cholera broke out
there in 1895. We were doubly quaran-
tined because n boy died on our ship.
As soon as the boys body was disposed
Of we up anchor md pulled into the
outer hnrbor, where we tossed around
in tho swell for few days in a jolting
style that finally determined the skip
per to pull away from Honolulu and the
island of Oahu altogether and to make
n cruise of the islands. We made n
cruise that lasted nearly three months
and finally got into Hilo harbor. Next
to Honolulu Hilo is the most important
town in the group. 1t is on the main
island of Hawaii, and, towering nearly
$4,000 feet above the sea, 60 miles or so
from the town, is the great volcano Of
Mauna Loa. The burning lake of Kila-
and the crater Loa.
During the cruise none of the men for
ward was permitted to go ashore. When
we reached Hilo the skipper decided to
give all hands shore liberty. The boat
swain's mate passed the word on deck;
starboard watch was to so ashore the
next day, port watch three days later,
n a Il. A.1,
to the ship, for the length of the liberty
was to be three days. The yelp OF JOY
that went up from the forward part of
the ship when this announcement was
made must have been heard ashore.
The men waltzed around like dancing
dervishcs and acted as If they were al
ready drunk Aft in the wardroom we
commiserated in advance the towns
people of Hilo, for we knew there would
be the devil to pay directly those sea
Indians of ours struck the beach.
"The men of the starboard watch,
about $50 all told, got together and de-
cided to make the trip up to the burn
ing lake of Kilauea, and to start as soon
as they got ashore. All hands were paid
off and received their three months
money, and the men of the starboard
watch turned into their hammoel1s
early to be ready for the big jaunt the
next day. AS soon as they got ashore
the men distributed themselves among
the gin mills to take q preliminary
drink or two, and then all turned up at
the big livery stable in IIilo, where con-
veyances and horses were to be hired
for the trip to the burning lake, which
is 12 hours from Hilo. Most of the men
felt pretty good from the preliminary
drink, and most of them, too, had n
good-sized jug to keep out the cold of
the higher altitude on the journey.
They hit up these jugs with considera-
bic frequency while the master at arms,
who was the spokesman of the crowd,
made arrangements with the liveryman.
He engaged lot of stages for such of
the party as wanted to travel that way,
and horses for the men who preferred
that means of reaching the burning
lake.
Everything was ready for the start
and the men were becoming comfort
ably jagged, when dozen young wom-
en-, most of them pretty, and all Amer.
lean girls by their looks, tripped up tc
the stable and got into stage that was
awaiting them. The bluejackcts gazed
with n good deal of respectful interest
Mt these nicc-loolling girls, who laughed
and chattcd together once they were
settled in the stage, and chatted in thC
American language, too, which is pleas
ant music unto the car Of the sailormar
in foreign ports. The blue jackets al
perlsed up their ears and nudged one an
other.
"'ITcy, there, mate called out tn,
master mt arms to the livcryman, If it,:
fair question, where's that packfu
of young women bound-the same port
ms my gangs making for?'
eyes, replied the liveryman, They're
just starting for the burning lake o
Kilauca, and they'll reach it at the same
time your party does
THE master at arms, q rough man o.
some sclf-acquircd education, walked
up to the stage in which the young
women sat. They watched his approach
with interest. The master at arms re
moved his peaked cap with the diff
dence of the salutation and spoke:
"'Young ladies' said he, you're from
the United States, amt ye"
"'Wc'rc not only from the United
States spoke up one of the youni
women, smilingly, but we teach tn
young idea of the United States how t.
shoot. We're all school-teachers iron
| Detroit
THAT bein' the case said the mas
ter Mt arms, it's only right and prope
that you should have n United State
guard, when there's one at hand, Will
you're in foreign parts. I've got gan
of 150 men here, all ablcbodicd, and 3
of 'em mounted, bound for the sam
place you're making for. They all wea
the uniform of Uncle Sam. Youn
women, I place that guard at your dis
position durin' the cruise to this her