The Opelousas courier., 1899-06-03
From an opelousas Boy in Manila.
On BOARD U. S. S. SoLACE, J
MANILA, PHILIPPINE Islands,, :
ADril 81. 1899. \


my DEAR FATnEE:-I have writer
you tho benefit of the notes | have beer
write to anybody while under way fol-
taking in and storing away the sights
saw
We are lying neal the maynard to the
right of Manila, unloading and re.
loading.
have witnessed several fights from
the rigging Of our vessel since we m
chored here, the insurgents getting the
worst of it every time. Sometimes the
atmosphere is full Of smoke from the
burning jungles, huts, etc. The last
fight | witnessed was a clear Sunday.
and they kept it up all day. Myself
and some companions tried to get shore
leave to take a hand with the boys, but
they would not let us. 1t was the
grandest sight ever saw or ever ex-
pect to see.
The weather is fearfully hot here
now, and it it keeps on getting hotter
as summer advances, we will surely
roast, but the nights are cool, My part
ner and / have a room and berths to
sleep in in this vessel, and we are more
comfortable in every way than IN the
Scorpion.
Our first lieutenant sees to III com
fort in many ways he is about the size
of Mr.. Zoder and reminds me of him.
One day last week the insurgents put
an old six-inch smooth bore in a church
steeple and expected to sink our whole
fleet with it, but some of our gunbOats
spied it and knocked the bright idea.
gun, church and all to the ground 10
less time than it takes me to tell you.
We are taking on some old Spanish
bronze 10-inch gnns-for ballast and Gu
riosities when we get to the States-one
called Joseph" was made in 1888 and
more modern ones, up to the year 1872
was sent ashore Il few days ago to
lay in supplies for the englne-room, and
took in the town, visited and inspected
a%llItlle old dilapidatea, bombarded Span
isii forts with their old smooth bores
knocked helter-skelter they were all
one huge mass of old scrap-iron. TO
give you an idea of their modern guns,
smooth bore 10-inclI, 10 inches thick at
the muzzle, 30 inches thick at the breech;
was raised and lowered by turning a
wheel, and was turned from side to
side by a block and tackle, set up on a
table on wheels, secured by an iron
bar to stake. These guns are about
10 feet long. | have visited every one
of the sunken Spanish vessels; they
are all hugescrap-Iron piles manned by
the ghosts Of the dead beneath.
We received mail to-day. l had pa
pers and letters from Kentucky, Brook
lyD, New Orleans and home, and a good,
long letter from old Dave-the kind il
likes to get.
This vessel will leave here next week
for San Francisco, bnt us there will be
Il draft of 81 :ien from her to the Ore
gon, | do not know that | will be with
her. | am anxious to go with her to the
for if | could go to California, |
would have travelled from the crock
hound-coast of Maine" to the golden
of California" around the other
way, but | will have to give up that
idea and content myself with some
other vessel, cruising around these is
lands or laying at anchor at Hong
China. / expect there will be a
general war now, since China got 80
gay with England. IT so, all l want
is a battle-ship that will be in the
thickest of the fray.
A few nights ago fellow that | en-
listed with in New Orleans came aboard
to sec me. Neither knew the other was
here. You can better imagine how We
both felt than | can tell you.
l send you a bundle of Manila papers,
900 cigars, cigarettes. etc; the cigars
cost 1c each your Csc ~sellers) the CT
garettes cost 80 for tic.
l have my seabag packed and ready
to leave ship in a moments notice. We
are compelled to carry 2 blue muster
ikg cults, 1 white mastering suit. 2
working suits, 3 suits each light
aud heavy underwear, 2 blue caps, 2
white hats, 2 pair shoes, 4 pair socks, l
pair leggins, towels, soap, backing and
and overcoat. | pack all the
above in the sea-bag by stufing them
in, and stamp them down with my feet.
In another bundle | pack / mattress, Q
/ hammock, 2 blankets-then
lash both bundles together, and l am
l do not hear from Frank is he still
at school?
1t is getting near 4 o%'clock-my watch.
Love to all. Write soon.
Your afRectionate son,
j. |. SHUTE.