The San Francisco call., 1898-12-08
REMARKABLE
 VOYAGE OF THE
 MONADNOCK Hardships Endured on
 the Way. TOLD BY CAPTAIN WHITING WONDERFUL ENDURANCE OF THE CREW IN THE TROPICS. Successful Voyage on Monitor, Lit tie Better Than Raft, From
 San Francisco to
 Manila.
TOLD BY CAPTAIN WHITING
WONDERFUL ENDURANCE OF
 THE CREW IN THE TROPICS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Dec 7.-The Navy Department has just made public re- port from Captain Whiting. who com manded the Monadnock on the voyage from San Francisco to Manila. in which, after telling of some of the hardships endured during the trip. pays well deserved compliment to the ener- gy and ability of the officers and crew which made possible what was without doubt the most remarkable voyage ever made by an ironclad vessel in an emer- gency.
 Captain Writings report, which reached the Navy Department through Admiral Dewey, contains the follow ing:
 U. S. S. MONADNOCK, SECOND RATE,
 MARIVELES, P. l., Oct. 9, 1898.
 Sir: Notwithstanding the fortuitous consequence to myself attendant upon relief of the Asatic fleet at Ma nila, I should consider myself as derelict to my duty as commanding off, cer, now that the war is over, if I failed to call the attention of yourself and the department to the highly neritorious services rendered by this ships com pany of officers and men under the most trying and difficult circumstances.
 The ability, courage, zeal and endurance a raft with only sixteen inches freeboard in her overloaded condition, certainly de- serves some recognition. A cruise of over 1000 miles in the tropics, in the ex- cessive temperatures, with what small deck room there is in the ship packed with coal. so that sleeping places and sleep were almost unattainable luXurieS for the forty days spent at Sea-all hands upon a limited amount of fresh water, struggling with appurtenances and en- zines never designed for such overloaded service, continually breaking down and as continually being repaired, no war duty has been more onerous or more disheart- ening.
 Anticipating a fight to the death with the enemy's heaviest force afioat, the voy- age has been for all a forlorn hope from the beginning, recognized as such by all who participated, heartily joined in with out f1inching, happily ending without an incident, yet only needing disaster to en- phasze what l write.
 Continuing, Captain Whiting es pecially comments the alertness of the Monadnock's executive officer, Lieu tenant Commander c. P. Perkins; Chief Engineer T. F. Burgdorff, who stub bornly fought the inherent weakness of engines designed for harbor use and successfully forced them through such prolonged voyage at sea-" and Sur geon J. M. Steele who carried the
 
 deal without a single fatality, though men were continually falling from heat and exhaustion.
 Speaking of the jealous responses of the officers and men to unusual calls for duty, Captain Whiting says
 They volunteered by delegation to coal ship by day and night at Guam, although nearly prostrated by the heafand confine- ment to which they were subjected. both there and while en route. Too much praise cannot be given the engineers s force below, who were necessarily occu- pied at all times. day and night, under the most arduous circumstances that can be ! imagined on board ship in the tropics do- ing their utmost to keep the machinery in running order
 That I have succeeded in safely bringing this monitor so far from her intended field of action in such a comparatively short time, with the Nero for a consort is wholly and entirely due to the most patri- otic and energetic support of this ships company of officers and men. There is no better ships company afioat and all who can show upon their records that they took part in the cruise of the Monadnock from San Francisco to Manila during the war with Spain deserve all the favors that the Navy Department and q grateful country can bestoW upon them either now or in the future