The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-28
LETTER FROM MANILA
One of Captain Young's Battery
Boys Writes Home.
SCENERY ALONG ROUTE
TRAVELLED AMONG ISLANDS
TWO HUNDRED MILES.
Target Practice On Shipboard-Will
Ritter the Best Gunner of the Bat
tery-How the Insurgents Fight
Allow No Prisoners to Escape
Spanish Prisoners at Cavite.

Ephraim, Aug. 27.-Among the most
interesting news items which fill the
papers are the letters from our gallant
soldier boys at Manila. The following
letter was received by the Enterprise
today from one of Ephraim's boys who
is a member of Captain Young's ia
nous Battery A:
Philippine Islands, July Is, 1898.
To All of My Friends in Parkway
Ephraim:
In former letter to the Enterprise I
wrote you the particulars of our voyage
to Honolulu, and now L will endeavor
to describe our journey from that
point.
We left Honolulu on the 25th day of
June. We were soon out of sight of that
pretty place, and we did not see land
again until we were 1900 miles on this
side, where we sighted a small place
known as Wake island. The island is
uninhabited, but there were hundreds
of sea birds of all kinds sitting on the
shores and flying around. Our ship did
not stop, but the China went as near
the shore as she could get, and three
boat loads of officers and men went
ashore. They amused themselves by
shooting birds and fish.
After they returned on board the ship
again, the Utah artillery had target
practice: that is, the part of Battery b
on board the China.
Next day it was rumored that the
transports were going to meet the
Charleston and then capture the La
drone islands. which are 200 miles on
this side of Wake island. Some said
we We're going to try them whether we
met the Charleston or not, and for
while it looked like we were going to
have an engagement. All the cannons
on this ship were mounted on the hur-
ricane deck and projectiles, shrapnel
and powder placed by them. We re-
ceiVed IS rounds of ammunition for our
revolverS. The regulars also received
two boxes of cartridges for their Krag
Jorgensen rifles.
We did not meet the Charleston, so
we sailed on past the islands just at
shutdown, and, as they did not fire on
us, we left them in peace. From there
on we saw nothing until yesterday
morning. when the beautiful. green
Philippine islands We're sighted. We
had not sailed many miles along them
until ship was sighted some 10 miles
ahead The China, being much the
fastest vessel went blowing through
the water full speed. and was soon
alongside the stranger, which proved to
be the United States cruiser Boston.
Manila and then the Boston came up
within a few hundred yards of our
ship. The captain told us through his
trumpet that Manila had not been bonn
barded yet and that they were waiting
fer more troops. He said the first ex-
petition landed at Cavite. He also in
formed us of the battle of Santiago, but
as you probably know more about that
than we do, l viii not mention it.
There is plenty of scenery to look at
as we so sailing along. Land has been
in sight for the last 800 miles. Tt is
now o'clock d. M, and we viii reach
our final destination about o'clock in
the morning. There is some over 100
miles of the trip left yet.
We will all be glad when we land,
even if we have to fight to do it. To-
day makes 50 days on the ocean, and
We are so tired of it that 1 think it
will take a large force to keep us
from landing. You can probably mag
inc how you would seel, being cooped
up in house and sailing over 1000
miles, with hardly anything to see but
the boundlesS ocean on all sides, and a
torrid sun shining down so hard that
it is hotter than love in August. The
perspiration runs Off of US day and
night, and the prickly heat bothers us
greatly. | did not know what the
prickly heat was before, and perhaps
some of you don't; but if you want to
know, you car take q million needles,
get them red hot and then stick them
into your body about two inches, and
you will have something Of an idea of
it. There is big hose here, and when
we get too warm we turn the water
on us
All of the battery boys are well, but
there is quite a let of sickness among
the infantry. There has been three
deaths on this ship during the voyage,
one cook, a private and one lieutenant
Of company b. Twenty-third infantry.
There was one man who died on the
China and one on the Senator.
We had target practice one day, and
there was some Sood shooting done.
The range was $500 yards the first
shots, but the last ones were fired at a
distance of 1000 yards. Section ) did
the best shooting. viii Ritter, gunner
Of section 3, is going to be the best
gunner in the battery. After the ar
tillery was through the regulars COM
menced firing. l thought their shots
were very poor for men that are sup
posed to be good marksmen.
To stand on deck and hear the roar
Of the cannon and see the water fly
reminded us of what it will be when we
get into action.
l will close now, but will write a lit |
lie more after we get to Manila, and |
see Dewey's noble fleet and other things |
Of interest.
Manila Harbor, July 1--we have |
now completed our long, tedious voy- !
lge, and are lying on our ships just !
)ff Cavite, right near the scene OF |
Oewey's great naval battle. We can |