The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-30
Chapters by a First NsW York
Literary Man.
The GARRISON EXISTENCE HEaE
SuperfIuous Drill In Binding Du Z
Sickness and Cause
Honolulu and HIio.
IS. F. Chronicle.J

IS. r. ChronicleJ
Californians. as rule. are quite Ia
miliar with camp life. Not only l. this
true of the country people OF this State.
but those in our cities are generally
more or less acquainted with outdoor
living
To these, however, camping comes as
a summer outing and connected with Il
are associations OF trout streams and
game. and the flirtations and impromp-
tn meetings made possible when the
conventionalities of the city are left
behind. Military camp life. however.
is far different from a few weeks eX-
perience in Mill valley or Sunol glen.
The routine of daily work. the duties
Of guard and street police. and the
many restrictions imposed by the reg
ulations of the service so change the
experience of camping that the volun-
teer will not recall the summer holiday
which in civil life was anticipated so
keenly
The camps to which our troops were
sent on their arrival in the Hawaiian
Islands last summer were named "Ods
and Mckinley" and were located at
Waikiki, beautiful suburb of Homo
lulu about five miles from the city cen
ter. Camp Otis occupied n portion c.
the race track Enclosure and consisted
of some few companies OF regulars IN
addition to portion of PennsylyaE.a
regiment and small detachmeats OF re-
cruits for various regiments of volun-
| teers whose main bodies had gone on to
Manila.
This camp site was on perfectly level
ground but was exposed to the full
glare of the sun, there being absolute
ly no shade within the race track in
closure. Its soil, however. was firm and
hard, and it's occupants were free from
that binding dust which was Camp
McKinley's most disagreeab,e charact-
eristic. At Mckinley were quar,ered
four companies of volunteer engineers
and the First New York Volunteers. a
full infantry regiment, 1900 strong.
This camp was located on the first
slopes OF Diamond Head, the extinct
volcano on the right side OF the en-
trance to Honolulu harbor. Before the
tents were pitched il was a rising slope
VI DEohtn lava Will AoN
growth of struggling shrubbery. and
was virgin soil pure and simple. To
clear this slope it was necessary 10
pull up the low bushes by the roots. and
this operation left ground OF broken
lava and lava dust. more disagree
able place for camping could hardly be
| imagined. There was no level piece
large enough for n tent, nor could one
be made. There were Jumps OF broken
lava everywhere, and through every
thing the sultry trade winds carried
i the dust The water supply was cx-
ceedingly scant, and often for hours AT
a time none was obtainable. Cleanli-
ness of either person or clothing was
out of the question. True. only half a
mile away was the finest bathing IN
the world; but while a man might safe
ly take one or two plunges day. with
drills at 1870 and $3.50 a. m. and and
D d. M, continued cleanliness was i'm
possible.
To get clean was possible; TO stay 50
; beyond the reach OF human effort. The
troops at Camp Mckinley drilled In
the race track Enclosure. a short 3Ot
yards away, but that little distance wa:
over roads ankle deep in dust As fine
as flour. As the soldiers passed the dir
rose in a sitting cloud and its effect OF
. men, warm from exercise in trop!ca
climate, can be imagined.
The food at Camp Mckinley durin!
the month of September is subject 4
the same comment as that at othe
camps. The detachment OF the F1rs
New York. reaching Honolulu on tn
Scandal on September Sd. arrived a
camp that evening after a five-mil
march. TO find absolutely nothing 4
eat-not so much as coffee and bread
The next mornings breakfast consist
ed of two small slices of bacon. brea
and coffee; supper, rice and coffee. an
breakfast the following morning
onions and coffee. and this menu wa
continued for some days.
= Had the troops been so situated tia
provisions were not obtainable thi
might have been excused, but the Ha
= waiian metropolis of Honolulu was l
easy reach and everything necessar
close at hand. 1t is this seeming negl
gence that has so disguised our soldier
!, everywhere Given active service :
the front, with the knowledge tha
every reasonable effort is being mad
in their behalf and our troops wi