The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-19

and the sudden change, the thermometer
ranging from 115 to 100, made it very
uncomfortable for us, and the heat took
hold Of US pretty bad. at first.
"We were in Tampa about week
where we were kept busy practicing sig
nal work. We were camped on the Hotel
Tampa grounds, a beautiful place, al,
though it was very sandy. VS. were then
ordered to Cuba and took the train for
Port Tampa, where we were then shipped
on board the transport CoTnanche, after
which We were divided up, two men be-
ing detailed for each ship, to keep up
Communication with the different ships
of the fleet. We touched at Key West,
July 4th, where we received our orders
from the warships as to which code of
signals should be used, as our signals
were different from theirs. We arrived
at Cuba July 9th, after a very smooth
and pleasant voyage, the only rough
water we experienced being in the wind
ward passage.
'sThe corps went on shore that night at
Siboney. Corporal Chris johnson and
I were on the transport Specialist and
did not go ashore at Siboney with the
rest of the signal corps as the ship we
were on went back to Daquiri to land the
artillery with which she was loaded. We
did not know the corps had gone
ON SHORE AT SIBONEY
I'D ,,,o xr,oro rostipor tbare THINKING they
were on the Comanche and we were all
together. I got leave from Lieut.. Kephart.
who was in command, to go on board the
Comanche and visit our boys. When I
got on board I found that the corps had
left without leaving any word for us and
when I returned reported the facts to
the lieutenant. He said he could do moth
ing for us and told me to report to the
commander of the Comanche. I did SO,
but the commander said that nothing
could be done until the batteries on board
the Specialist had been landed.
SIN the meantime. before the batteries
had been landed, signal station had
been established on a little hill short
way from the shore, composed partly OF
our corps and partly of regulars. l dis
covered one afternoon that the station
was there by their signalling to gun
boat in the offing. With the aid OF my
field glasses 1 discovered that some Of the
Maine men were there and opened COM
with them by means of the
flags. That evening we borrowed boat
from the ship and went on shore to visit
che station. The boys Immediately went
to work to get 70 nice supper together
which we were very much in need of as
our rations were very low on the ship.
1t is needless to say that we did full JUS
tice to it and passed O very pleasant eve
ming together.
81 telephoned to Capt. Butler of the
Maine Signal Corps as to what we should
do, but he was up the trail about four
miles and would not be back until quite
Iate SO that I could not get word from
him until the next morning. We were
I'D bright and early the next morning
watching for his reply, which soon
came, ordering us to come ashore at the
station and report to him at Siboney as
soon as possible. We then reported the
captains message to Lieut.. Kephart of
the Specialist and he sent Us on shore.
We went to the signal station where we
had another square meal and then left for
Siboney. We started at an easy walk
from the station, taking our time as
the sun was very hot. We had not gone
far before we struck very bad road, be-
ing badly cut by the mule teams which
had passed over it before US. The mud
was up to our knees most of the time and
We could not turn out of the road on ac-
count Of the brush and labarynth of
vines which lined the road On both sides.
After struggling along for several miles
we finally overlook mule team and
succeeded in getting ride the rest of the
way and after several hours of hard
travel we
.. ARRIVED AT SIBONEY.
where we reported to Capt Butler, whom
we found at the telegraph station which
had been established there. When we ar
rived we found one telegraph machine
and three telephones hard at work, and
this they kept up from Go clock In the
morning until IL O'Clock at night. This
was about the time of the fight and the