The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-24

! ON BOARD THE STEAMER NEW
PORT, Honolulu, July 7.-Anticipating
great many interesting things that can be
written in regard to our contemplated voy-
age. will write this letter in the form Of a
diary, and make my statements as clear and
concise as possible.
| JUNE 2S.-Ws were up at 4:S0 this morn
| ing to prepare for breaking camp, and
From that time until 500 all was stir and
hustle. By that time everything was I'M
shape except that the empty tents were still
standing. knapsacks and haversacks
were packed. the camp ground was clean
arms and knapsacks We waited. At 1000
the general call (Which is the signal for
breaking camp sounded, and with whoop
and hurrah We let the tents fall and
rolled them as quickly as possible. At about
II o'clock we started on our five mile march
to the docks. The weather was sitting
hot, and, together with our heavy loads and
| the cobblestones, the march was hard one
| Some Of the boys came very near falling by
the waysde. We received great ovation
as we passed through the city. Dense
crowds lined the streets the greater part Of
the distance. Along Market street We had
great difficulty in keeping in ranks. Bottles
of beer. fruit etc, were distributed freely
among the soldiers by the male population
while the ladies' not to be outdone, showered
| flowers and fruit upon us. When we reach
ed the dock the ladies of the Red Cross
| (who, by the way, deserve the highest
praise for their hospitality and kindness)
fed US, and made us feel at home. Other
ladies, not connected with the Red Cross
gave US enough tobacco to last until we get
to Honolulu. The people of San Francisco
can truly open their hearts, and, what is
more tangible, their poke tbooks. They
will long be remembered by the soldier boys
The Aston battery had already been as
signed hunks when we BATTERIES H and
K) arrived. By o'clock we had all been
assigned hunks and were receiving visitors
by the thousands. In the evening the SOL
dier5 took In the city" l went to tn
Grand opera house with friend and saw
lblood-curdling play. 1 was very glad to
turn In after a long and tiresome day.
JUNE 29.-The sun rose bright and clear
while most of the soldiers snored and
slept OF the previous evenings dissipation
in their hunks. was up early inspecting
our home. and watching the freight being
transferred from the wharf to the hold Of
the ship. will attempt to give you some
idea of how we are situated. The New
port Is S35 feet long and very narrow in
proportion She is capable of making
twenty knots. Our hunks are on the
lower deck, or Storage. They were i'm
provised for the occasion, and are nearly
GOO in number, built in rows, three high,
two wide, and running the width and half
the length of the ship. Between the rows
is an aisle. The ventilation is fair, and
everything must be kept clean. At 8
o'clock nearly everybody was on deck,
everything and nothing. Visitors surged
through the ship, and a sea of faces looked
up from the wharf. We were to leave at
10 o'clock. Shortly before that hour Cen
eral Merritt and staff. with Murat Hal
stead and Millet war correspondent for
the London Times, came aboard, amid u
din OF cheering. A few minutes later we
were off. A few miles out to sea the
rocking and pitching of the ship was
having its effect, and one by one the VIC
|
=, had been doing, but for another purpose.
The Farallone islands came and went, and
we saw the last of American soil. Very
few lined up for meals the first day out,
and one by one the boys retired from the
deck to their hunks. The Aston battery,
about which so much has been said and
written is formed, I acknowledge, of a
different class. generally, than those in
| our battery. Many of them are the
sons Of wealthy people, and good many
college men are among them But have
not found the majority of them at all
stuck up.
JUNE S0.-Last night the sea was very
rough, and we had to "lay to- for six
hours. making only two and half knots
in that time. Many VINO nau lrdVeieu eS-
| tensively on water were sick. I was
surprised to find the Pacific so unpacific.
l was happily free from sickness. lined
I'D for grub every meal, and came back for
Seconds
JULY 5.-Not enough of interest has hap
nened since wrote last to maintain diary.
The gerat ocean continues to stretch be-
hind us. before us and from all sides. We
lare now about 1900 miles from San Fran
cisco. making the difference in time about
1.-TWO hours. For two days the weather has
been gradually getting warmer, and the
sea has been so calm that the ship glideS
through 1t as II she were on big millpond
The only inhabitant of the deep have seen
was a flying fish, which saw this morning
Swimming like swallow close to the water
and then diving quickly into the sea. To-
morrow evening we expect to reach Homo
lulu, and then can surely find something
to write about Everybody has been out
Of his bunk for couple Of days, and all
signs of seasickness have disappeared. We
pass the time very pleasantly on the up
per deck, singing, listening to music (there
are several musical instruments among
the boys), playing cards-for fun
and gossiping. We have in our battery a
veritable wonder, in the shape of a whis-
tier. He has had the reputation of being
I,I- I, ;ct1o In, cto TO T.,I