Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-04-12
FROM KEY WEST
COMES LETTER By CADET
HILARY WILLIAMS,
The Representative of the SIKH Con-
orsssIonaI District IN the United
States Navy Som sthino OF the Uait-
ed States Marines OaiIv Existenos.

ed States Marines Oailv Existsncs.
The appended abstract is from a
letter written by Hilary Williams of
Fayette county. now the sixth congress
sional districts representative IN the
United States naval forces. The letter
was received by Robert Charles of this
city. a warm personal friend of the
Jack tar"
L. S. s., Iowa." March 81, 1895.
Dear Bob don't know whether [
owe you a letter or rot but think | do,
and will write you one anyway.
We are three days behind the times
here, and so know only stale news.
You probably know oy the New York
papers of the 18th. all that L know
now. You can realize how We feel
down here with the then mometer at 80.
not knowing when we may be ordered
to lombard Havana, and worst OF all
not knowing the news until 1t is two
or three days old. When you last
wrote me, the probability of war seem
ed much greater than it does now.
We have heard that the President has
told Spain that hostilities in Cuba must
cease at once; whether it is true, and
and what Spain's reply will be we dc
not know We get mail tonight and
that may give us some information on
the subject. Here goes for what we
know of the squadron:
1.-The vessels are divided into three
squadrons, one at Key West. one al
Port ROYAL and one at Hampton
Roads. What the other two are doing
/ don't know, but we are expecting
almost anything to happen. We have
put on our war paint, light blue
gray color, that is hard to see even IN
daylight. We have gun practice day
and night and are prepared generally
for fuss. The Iowa." as you
probably know, is our largest ship.
She has four 12-inch guns, eight s
inch and six inch, besides lot OF
six FOUNDERS and one-pounders. The
l2-incn are in turrets near the bow
and stern of the vessel, and arraigned
to train on either beam, with 9
broadside of four Is inch, four 8 inch
three 4-inch guns, and ten six pound
ers and two pounders-we coulc
make quite noise.
There is just this trouble with thu
battle ships, Bob. theyican. or should
be, able to whip with ease any Spanlst
ship, and the Spaniards won't hgh
| one of them il they can help it. Ii we
were to go to war with Spain, | dom
believe the would have fight.
well, Key West is poor place
There is nothing here but sponge:
and conch shells. We are trying t.
| while away the time, but it is pretty
slow. Now if | were at home. | woulC
be having fine time. That is the
way of the world. The people at HON
think am having great chance here
knowing everything and right In the
midst of the excitement. Well IL
reality they depend on the same thinf
that | do for their information-ths
know all We know in ad
vance of US.
Well. let me tell you how l Spend
some of the time. We have watches
as you know. We stand watch IN fine
of four hours each except the to
watch in the evening, which is divided
into two watches, the first dog watci
4 to 8, and the s cond dog watch 6 Il
Is That makes seven watches in the
twenty four hours. l had the after
noon today, II to 4. SO tomorrow
will have the morning. to s, the mex
night-tomorrow night-the II to
midnight watch. So you see that there
is little work to do. 1t is Just 6ne tc
turn in about 8 o'clock, then at II have
somebody come and waken you and
have to go aud walk up and down the
deck for four hours with no let no.
Besides the watches we have drill
from $50 TO 10:45. from
1:3O to 2:4o, and from to
$50. Now in addition to this we
have boat duty. That is, go in char e
of boats for stores, mail, etc. AL
together it makes or 10 hours work
day, and so badly hacked up that
you are hardly free for two hours
at time. Now when the work is
done in the evening we can't get away
from the ship. being so far from shore
Don't you see. Bob, that it is hard
lifef Well it Is. When We get to
New York after the war;" expect
to get home for about eight days,
etc"
The remainer of the letter in purely
personal, but enough has been given
to show something of the life that so
many boys envy the fellows who lead