Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-08-04


port of st. Thomas. We did not kno
where we were bound for, 90 you ca
Imagine our surprise and delight whe
we learned that our course was to b
laid TO Newport News, back to dear oil
United States again The order tina
takes us there came last night abou
ten O'Clock. 1t was understood tina
we were to leave today for some place
but 1t was thought to be TO join tn
iieet for Spain, SO you can see how thi
course comes as IA great surprise to us
We had not thought of being home
ward bound for many weeks at leas
and perhaps months and now the be
lief permeates the ship that we ar,
going back TO Newport News to equil
Tor the eastern voyage with the fleet
This is only speculation of course, but
we must have something To speculate
on. Our fondest hope cannot lead u:
To believe but that our stay north will
not be an extended one. | very much
dread going across the ocean to the
war in the east for fear our term oi
service might be made longer than
otherwise. think it very diplomat
lc move on the part of the government
but hope the regular navy will be used
Tor that service and that the four vol
unteer crews will be mustered out Just
as soon as their active services are no
longer required. We are all ready to
come home now just as soon as we can
be of no further real benefit to the
cause, not before that of course. Our
friends thought, or at least some of
them, that we were to go on fine
summer yachting cruise and that we
would never hear the noise of battle
or smell the smoke of an enemy's gun.
We did not relish the inference that
we would be only "tin soldiers" and
patiently waited for the opportunity
to show our friends and the public
that when 1t comes to the matter of
hghtlng volunteer organization can
do just as good work as the soldier or
sailor who has been in the service for
his monthly stipend. Our day came on
the 18th day of 5ane. We arrived off
San Juan June 25, joining the ST. Paul.
She reported having successfully met
"a torpedo boat, thought TO be the Ter
ror, and having sent her back into the
harbor damaged, to what extent she
did not know but thought it would
take her at least "A few days to repair
The next day the ST Paul left and We
were alone three hundred miles from
the nearest relief, Guantanamo, and 20
miles from neutral port st. Thomas.
Imagine our situation, crew of mex
perienced volunteers, doctors, lawyers,
bankers and all sorts OF professional
men on freight vessel whose maxi
mum speed was not over IL knots an
hour and all of her engines and boilers
above the water line so that one shot
landed would have made us
.he helpless victims Of u most brutal
enemy. Our redeeming strength was
n a large battery of medium sized
guns There we lay just outside the
'ange OF the gun OF fort which we
Knew to be one Of the strongest in the
Western Hemisphere, and which all
'ur fleet had failed TO seriously injure
lnder their combined fire. The fort |
was lmpregnable so far as we were
and we could do only one |
hing, stand out OF its reach with its
powerful nine inch guns. Inside the |
larbor were reported to be two gun
boats and two torpedo boats. We did
lot know what hour the Terror might |
'eturn to the attack. During the day |
We felt that we could do as well as the
ST. Paul, repulse her, but we feared |
Ter next attempt might be made in the
light and we knew that if she sue
'eeded in stealing upon us in the dark
less and landing one torpedo, her work
would be as successfully done as If she
lad carried thousand guns. We
how a whole nation had
'een for days and weeks in a furry of
excitement for fear our battleship Ore-
'on' one of our very strongest and most
u.ly equipped ships might be attacked
ma sunk by the Spanish torpedo boat
error before she could reach our
Ieet. Yet there we were every day
nd every night, steaming around de-
iantly so close that we could almost
cunt their guns.
On Monday, the third day there we
discovered small schooner coming
ut OF port and steaming down the
oast. We went after her, fired a shot
cross her bow and waited for her to
ONE to US. When she came along side
he was found TO be little private
essel of no importance, so she was
old she could go on. As she drew
way the captain sent message TO
hem IN Spanish, "Give my compli-
nents TO your commandant and tell