The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-18
THE ORROWFUL STORY OF ASAIL
\ sloop Of War That Started forGuam
and Never Reached There.

The following is told by e.. 4. King,
l.. S. NJ: Surveying a tropical ocean in
June in a vessel OF the old navy. always
uuuer steam. is not the A5utcst duty
that naval men arc called upon 10 per-
form. so 10 is little wonder tnat Wnen
the slOOp of war Alert reached loho-
hama after long tour of lAls service
several OF her Oincers were down Win
sickness. Their places were hAed py
others drawn from the ships OF the
squadron, provisions lad in ana pre-
UaratiOns made To return south TO tAc
scene " her lalOrs, the survey OF bI-
tOmart reef This reef, reported ana
placed upon the charts long ago, hdd
been the terror Of merchant ahppeis iof
years. 40 lay I'm the Pacihc ocean some
where between the BONN Islands and
the ladrOues. Its exact location was ln
doubt. There was great hustle Of PEE
pdraflOn on board the sldulcu lttie SNIP
as stores and coal were taken on board
and much running about OF stewards and
caterers Of mcsses 10 see That the needs
of the inner man would De met DURING
the hot ana tedious cruise ahead. Ihe
caterer OF the junior officers mess had
told his messmates that a. pleasant SUR
prise waited them when Guam should
be reached for that island. over which
our flag now flies. was 90 De our lllil-
est stopping place, and there under the
blood and gold Of Spain We were TO
Learn the secret Of all his smiles and
pleasantrics So We chccrlully Clipped
in our hard earned silver dollars Tor
mess stores. which Uncle sam. with un-
appreCiatlve acuteness, THINKS ms oll-
GERS better able 10 buy than himself
And so we made ready 10 san one
night and stood by 20 up anchor ar
daybrcak when frosty Fuu 1ama snouid
show his lofty head above the mists OF
morning.
night at Yokohama when the snip shook
from stem to stern. The small cadet
sang out, What's that2'
Everybody jumped 30 tho deck 90 ma
the bay mass OF turbulent waves that
rocked the ship violently for O. moment
and then the water settled down 70 us
usual piacidlty. The mate appeared. and,
with his usual smile. said Earthquake
Hundreds lost their lives on the shores OF
the bay that night hut we never -ueW
IL until We came back from Guam. We
sailed away in the morning. aud- sound
ing as we went. Left FataiziO. the Japa-
nese penal colony for women. on our
starbOard hand and shortly came 10 the
BONN ISLANDS.
we sailed away one day bound south,
and came at dusk on July 4tn 20 taral-
lon de PaharOs. This volcanic cone rises
in graceful sweeps from the water and IS
cleft from summit 10 base with great
assures. which look into the molten
earth beneath and from which the liquid
fire ever bubbles and rolls until. finding
the water far below. ~ sends clouds az
steam nigh into the air. we left this
place Of sulphurous fumes when the
tropical night had closed upon as. and
looked In awe at this fitting Fourth OF
Julv Cisplay as the Alert gradually crcpt
into the darkness We worked 70 the
southwark buOyed up by thoughts OF
Guam and the mates secret that we
should learn there.
All things come 10 an end az last. and
one night the navigator told US We would
see the shores Of Guam at sunrise in the
morning. What a joyful prospect IL was
To know that we would touch the green
earth once more and learn the mate 5
tantalizing secret
The ocean and sky grew ugly that
night. and by 10 o'clock we were pitch
ing and tossing in a fearful sea that
threatened 10 lay US on our beam ends.
The heat was terrific. for 81 was a black
Storm" and there was. not a breath OF