Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-09-17


hard to break volunteers from swear
ing, who, all their lives. have been ac-
eustomed TO the habi, at home, but
will enforce the order.
1t is a rare thing to see clear, bright
SKY as We have IL Idaho. Every day
shows more or less OF clouds floating
overhead, and in the 8ight time there
is sort of aurky cloudy mist which
dim The brightness and brilliancy of
the stars. They do not twinkle and
sparkle here as in Idaho.
Sea birds and flying fish no longer APP
pear to amuse those who sit at the
guards and watch the >easeless never
firing, rolling waves of the restless
ocean none appear to Us in this latitude
and longitude. The sea serpent and
other curious things of the mighty deep
have not made their appearance before
or around our ships. we have seen moth
ing larger than the gull and no fish
larger than the flying fish. II sea voy-
ages are always attended with the cur
ious, exciting and uninteresting, ours
thus far has been signal failure.
One great popularity about sailing
is this: Every ship seems to be sailing
in sort of trough with high waters all
around. The Indiana sailing in the
advance appears from our deck to be
sailing on waters 20 feet higher than
our ship and the same appears to be
true of the Ohio at our right and the
City of Para and Valencia in our rear.
IL is only the vision of the experienced
sailor that takes in objects, of ship, in
their true position. To the unexperi-
enced. objects are deceiviug.
AT noon today, Tuesday, the captain
of the steamship makes this report:
Latitude. 81, 10, n; Longitude, 10,
II, 80, W; Course, 50 w; Distance,
235 miles; total distance $50 miles.
Today we made gain of four miles
over yesterday. We are now about 2soo
miles from our native land, and travel
ing farther and farther away at the rate
OF 240 miles daY. The distance from
San Francisco to Manila as mapped out
for us is something like 1000 miles.
That is long. long distance on track
less ocean OF blue, restless, rolling
waves.
We still have few suffering from
sea-sickness. Whenever they move
about their troubles begin. Poor fell
lows! feel very sorry for them. They
have about twenty days ahead of them
on sea and that is a long time to be sea
sick. A sea-sick soldier wears as friend
less expression as you ever saw pictured
on any face. They never smile and
face that never smiles is an object of
pity. My men, generally, keep we'll. a
few report regularly to the surgeons
but We have no cases of serious sickness
like fevers pneumonia and kindred COM
plants.
Two days ago we crossed warm cur
rent OF water whose temperature was 90
degrees. Those who bathed thought
the engineer had turned on a stream of
hot water for the bath tubs. When
entered the tubs the evening before /
found the water at about 10 degrees and
was surprised, the men taking shower
baths had told me the water was cold.
If we had stations like Shelley, Ba-
salt and Ross Fork along the line where
we could get information from the seat
of war sailing in mid ocean would not
be so painfully monotonous, irksome
and tiresome. Peace may be declared
thirty days without our knowing any
thing about it. We will continue in
our westernly course until we reach the
longitude of the western coast of the
Philippines and then go south to Manila
and Cavite. This course makes the
distance from San Francisco to Manila
about 1000 miles whereas in straight
line it is $500.
Wednesday morning, July 18th. To-
day promises to he a duplicate in all
appearances of yesterday, "a little cloudy,
hot and comparatively calm.
began today to cast overheard lot
OF mattresses. A board consisting of
my majors, Higgins, McConvile and
Springer we're appointed TO inspect and
condemn all the unservicable ones. and
upon their report AZ were cast into the
water. BY the time we reach Manila
| expect 800 will be gone. Each bun k
has wire mattress as well as straw
one and the straw ones get mouldy,
musty and offensive pretty quick down
in the hole, hence the order to get rid
OF the bad ones. The men prefer the
wire ones anyway. For the sake OF
cleanliness / shall have to order great
many things overheard. Hundreds of
men know no more about keeping them
selves in clean condition and taking
care Of their effects than baby. They
have to he watched and nude to do
what is necessary for them.
AT noon Wednesday the captain
I.....