Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-06-24
LIFE ON A HOSPITAL SHIP.
An Officer on the soiacc Describes His
Short Experience.

Inc 1ol!oWlng letter addressed to q
gentleman in this city was received
ted States navy who went to sea on
the hospital ship Solace when she sail
ed from Newport News:
u. S. S. SOLACE,
at sea. off Cape Hatteras.
Thursday, June 9th. 1898.
My Dear -----: To describe to
you in common every day letter what
life in the navy means would be in
deed most reasonable impossibility.
Volume after volume would have to
be written to give to others what I
have seen, heard and felt since / have
been in the service.
Suffice 1t to say. however. that the
most unpleasant, but clearly perceptl-
BILE thing that I have seen was a sup
posed Spanish warship approaching us
through the gloomy haze of an evening
twilight under q full head of steam.
far out at sea, and seeming occasional
ly to disappear beneath waves. The
most distinct and audible thing that
have heard came to my eass at :
o'clock A. M. on gloomy. dark. dismal
night off the coast Of San Domingo.
West Indies. 1t was shot fred across
our bow, followed by stern voice
coming through the blackness OF the
night and demanding to know who we
most unmistakable thing that I have
felt was that peculiar warfare OF no
ton waged SO furiously in my abdem
inal regions while passing Cape Hate
ras. The sensation was not unlike that
of a volcanic eruption. so we'll known
and clearly remembered by every pei
son when they first go to sea. X
But you must not Judge from what l
have lust said that am sick and tired
of my job and ready to resign. One
praiseworthy thing in Uncle Sans ma
ture is that he never discharges, Meth
accent a
noticeable fact is, however. that fell
low seldom ever spends a second term
in Ilncle Sans employ.
Now. to be thoroughly appreciated.
one must live this life before he can
know what 1t means. To know what
John Howard Payne meant when he
penned the lines OF Home. Sweet
Home" one must first make his home
upon the trackless sea. To be able to
cling with the spirit and with the I'M
Rocked in the Cradle OF the Deep"
one must have been off Hatteras in n
storm. To know what it means to Sit
down to a table grooming under g
heavy load Of toothsome delicacies
hard tack" for breakfast. beans. "hard
tack and pork for dinner and "har.
tack" pork and beans for supper. To
know what it means to be Christian
under all circumstances and condl-
A'''iiN JIG i've. IOi dNNlie
among gamblers, professional drum
kards. dead beats and fools
To realize what war means.
one must be aboard a hospital ship
where sick and wounded men fresh
from the scene of battle. one-armed
.one-legged. one-eyed. half-men. ETC..
nre hauled around and dumped about
like SO much freight. To know WHIST
summertime and sunshine means one
need lie at anchor OFF the coast OF Cuba
81 calm. still day.
But even at this stage of naval
experience my knowledge is only lin
tied. My sojourn uDon the sea has
been for the space Of fortv-four days
leaving me just 321 davs in which to
drag out this peculiar existence. AS J
ret myself together under these va
rious conditions and sit for a few mo-
ments and think, come to the con-
clusion that 1t must have been the
great nnmistakable stock of patriotism
which / possessed that ever induced
me to come to this place. Yet I Won
der sometimes il am really a patriot,
the real thing itself. Then I get my
dictionary 10 see if 1 can ascertain
what the word means. Next comes To
my mind the thoughts of Goldsmith
embodied in the following lines:
1.-The PATRIOTS boast where'er We
.oam.
His first. best country. ever is at
home.'' a.
With best wishes. am yours for
UNCLE SAM