The times., 1898-06-19
SAILORS QUIT THE SCOUT SHIPS
Complain They Were Not Enlisted
to Fight the Spnniards.

Complain They Were Not Enlisted
to Fight the spnniurds.
New York. June lS.-About 100 men.
former members of the crews of the aux
iliary cruisers Yale and Harvard, have
arrivea-here frem- Newport News, Va.
within the last two days on the steam
ships Old Dominion and Jamestown.
Both cruisers are Nfow-at Newport News
receiving heavier armament.
When the crews of the American lin
ets St. Louis, Paris and New York were
shipped here for years cruise in the
service of the Government the men
pected the vessels 'woAtd be employed on
patrolling and not on fighting duty. Many
of the men are subjects of the Queen
of Great Britain AS they were to re-
ceiVe in addition to- their wages so per
cent at the expiration of the cruise for
good behavior they considered the pro-
pesai piece of. good fortune
Now that there are reports of dispatch
ing the American Liners as part of fly
ing squadron to harrass the Spanish coast
and as the additional armament on the
St. Louis, the Yale and the Harvard gave
a sembiance of truth 20 these reports
|
stand against further service on the aux
Hilary cruisers. Coupled with their objec-
ton to, the smell OF ,gunpowder are COM
plants of poor food. foul drinking water,
long hours and curtaiied privileges. Fred
erick Jones' until recently master-at-arms
on the Yale, speaking for his mates, said:
AT Newport News we were urged to
enlist in the Navy and give up our places
with the American Line and all the ad-
vantages we were to receive from the
line. During our cruise We have had to
eat spoiled meat and sour bread. The
water we had TO drink was rain, piped
! fran the scuppers into hogsheads. The
meat called fresh was put aboard on April
| 80. We asked for salt horse and hard
! tack in preference but didn't get them.
81 am an American but / don't want 10
| be forced 10 enlist in the service of the
Government while I am doing all right
| on a merchantmen. Ny pay on the
American liner Paris was s45 month.
but if l enlisted l would only get s25 a
month The boatswain would get the
same wages. although his pay in the en-
| ploy of the American line was 800 q
month"
/ " Imam soielS ulIldu, WHO was a IRE
| man on the Yale, said ne was 10 receive
$3.50 a month, but only got $55. He was
! informed that the men were 10 get their
bonus OF 30 per cent only after the eX-
piration of the year for which they ship
| ped. Sleightman made the same COM
plants against the food and water. The
canned goods. he said. either went to the
| officers or the marines.
Others were disgruntled because they
| never knew when theiy duties were over.
and because the rules were much more
rigid than. when the cruisers were ma.-
/ chantmen.
Sleightman said the Yale had been fired
| on three times in San Juan. One shot
! struck short distance ahead, another
fell 100 feet astern, while a third flew over
The vessels tunnels The Yale then pro-
ceeded to Santiago. where she took in
tow the collier Merrimac. preparatory 20
heF sinking across the neck of the harbor,
The Golfers air pumps were disabled, he
declared
At the office Of the American line. which
has charge Of the crews of the ST. Louis.
the Yale. and the Harvard. il was said
the men who had left the cruisers were
chronic kiekers. and their story of bad
treatment and food unfounded. The line
+ Is having no trouble to find men to take
the places Of the dissatisfied ones.