New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-28
ANXIOUS TO COME NORTH
.,-rrEHrNGs OF THE ENLISTED MEN ON
THE MONITORS.

..rops on THE PURITAN AND THE TERROR
COMPLAIN TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BEING
KEPT IN SOUTHERN WATERS
,rnov . STAFF CORRESPONDENT TIE TRiBUNE.l
porce. Porto Rico. Aug. lS--It isn't often that
,ha American sailor takes mis- pen in his hand
80 register a complaint against his treatment.
.,her by his immediate superiors or those higher
,n authority but the men behind the guns IN
.ho hot turrcts OF the monitors Puritan and
terror now in port here have come out with
written declaration. in which they protest
ocsinst being detained in these waters any
,..cer The comm ander Of at least one OF the
o,,tors has approved the complaint Of his
ar and with his Endorsement the pape"
uu he filed in the Navy Department at once.
The particular grievance OF the Jackies is that
,ho monitors have been ordered TO Guanca,
which is well protected by land, to await the
end Of the hurricane season" No man who
has been on board one Of the monitors-espe-
cally In the frerooms-wll gansay the state
rent that they are close to inferno for heat
snd discomfort. Jack Tars who have lived in
me abomlnally stuffy atmosphere curse the
hand that constructed the first monitor and the
statesmen who authorized the building OF 9TH
s-s and the officers OF the ships themselves
loud in their complaints when they are ordered
20 the tropics Cor any prolonged stay. In the
North where there Is something ike cool nights
The lot Of the men IS hard enough. but in these
attitudes. with hot days and hot nights and a
sea that keeps the decks awash. even when the
ships are at anchor. 1t is infinitely worse. Men
exhausted by working in front Of glowing fur
naces find small comfort crowded as perforce
they must be on the hurricane deck to catch d
few moments Of sleep. and it is this condition
lpu
Washington.
AN OFFICERS OPINION.
in the course OF a conversation on this topic
yesterday one OF the most prominent officers
In the Navy said TO The Tribune correspondent:
The Department has ordered US TO wait in
Guan,ca TIL the end Of what It is pleased to
term the hurricane season. In the last century
there have been only two hurricanes in these
vaters-one one hundred years ago, and the
other forty years ago. No one would venture
10 say that there will not be a hurricane this
year, but It is not probable. Even II 1t were the
monitors could easily return TO Key West or
70 some port further North. 1t seems strange
that the men on the monitors should be sub
jected TO what certainly Is unnecessary dis
comfort now that the war is practically al an
end So long as there need for their ser
vices In these waters no word or complaint
came from them. and II their presence here was
necessary the protest would not be heard or
1t is positively cruel TO keep them here with a
temperature os $50 in the engine rooms and OF
1l5 on the berth deck. the enlisted man on a
monitor can hardly be raid TO be enjoying a
stay in Southern waters When 10 this Is added
the fact that at night he must sleep on the
hurricane deck and be wet by the heavy rains
and dews his lot Is almost uncomfortable and -
is no wonder that he appeals to the National
Government for relief. In fact. the wonder IS
that he doesn't mutiny.