Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-09-24

terday was not a soldier, but fireman
on the steamship Ohio, who jumped
Overheard TO commit suicide. This is
the second fireman of that ship 10 COM
init suicide since leaving San Francisco.
Six OF those men deserted at Honolulu
and were captured and returned to the
steamer, and it Is possible the trouble
from that source made the man prefer
death to his life in the hot room below.
"Wednesday 10th: The morning is hot,
the noon and evening promise to be
hotter. II is amusing now TO see how
eager men are for shower baths, morn
ing and evenings and how pleased they
are TO sleep on deck.
The Christian workers OF the COM
mand are earnest and jealous in the
discharge of their Christian duties. |
am pleased at this. | lend them en-
enlargement in that direction.
"Wednesday at noon, report shows:
Latitude, %, 40 N; longitude, l5s, 80
E; course, S. IS W; distance, 22s
miles; total, 1886 miles.
This is falling behind of between
II and 20 miles on the days sailing,
yet is a gain of 7Iniles over yesterdays
distance. Yesterday there were two
stops. Loss explained by bad coal.
Every afternoon the band practices
on the upper deck and makes some
good music. l have ceased to follow
the practice. only turn my attention
to the playing unless the selection be
something new or particularly pretty.
Ever since leaving Honolulu the sea
has been measurably smooth and we
are becoming such experienced sea-
men that we do not notice any little
change TO roughness. The water has
not changed color; il is still q deep
blue.
The speculation as TO the fate await
ing US st Manila varies from the grave
70 the ridulous. There are almost as
many beliefs as there are men. Our
sailing to-day has been the most irreg-
ular of any day out at sea. No two
ships have keep place. But then moth
ing serious has been the matter. II
the engines in the fleet should grow tir-
ed and mutely demand rest. il should not
be surprising. To force a ship carry
inf 1000 tons and more through rough
waters for 80 days and nights, requires
a force that must rest at some time.
Thursday morning, July 81: No change
in temperature. II will be hot to-day.
1t is hot this morning. 1t was hot last
night. The sea is as calm as Yesterday.
We are looking for nothing to break
the monotony until next Sunday, when
we hope to sail in sight of land again.
Ii we do not make radical change In
our course we will sail between the
Faralone and Assumption islands and
then begin to see others along the
course. Next week should put US in
the island regions of the China Sea.
This morning, just about the break
fast hour, beautiful rainbow spanned
the sky in front of the bow of our ship
as she was sailing onward. 1t appeared
as II it was placed there purposely for
US TO sail under. Was it sign of peace
or war? Was it a bow of promise Of
good fortune given 10 us? Who can
tell: He who gave the bow as sign
that the world shall never again be de-
stroyed by water can make it sign OF
something more to-day. | count it
sign of some good news.
Thursday noon, July u: Report is
as follows: Latitude, 20, IL N: longi-
tude, 155, As f.; course, S. IS W.: dis
lance, 226 miles: total distance, 1852
miles.
This morning at 10 o'clock the steam
ers stopped and the Ohio and Valencia
were summoned to the Indiana to con-
suit in a case of extreme illness OF
member of the signal corps named
Bowers. Bowers suffered from consti-
patton and heat and died, and was bur-
led at sea. Buried at sea- What sad
thought. The thought of being buried
at sea should trouble no one. Heaven
is as close to him who lives Christian
life and is buried at sea as to him who
is buried in crowded city cemetery.
The dead are not lonely, and death at
sea can be no more painful at sea than |
on ones own native soil. The separa-
ton from loved ones and friends at
home gives the tinge of sadness.
That is about all. A burial at sea
should be preferred to one in neglected
Four deaths have come to
the expedition since leaving San Fran
cisco-two were suicides, firemen 'on
the steamer Ohio, and one from apo
plexy, and one from constipation and
heat. This is small per cent. for the
number of men aboard steamers and
their crowded condition. My men keep
in better health than they did at Camp
Merritt with its fogs and cold winds.
The evening is coming again. 'The
10 nothing program" on the upper deck
was rendered to-day "a vesterdov. tho