The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-25
ACROSS THE WATER.
Walter A. Mestrezat Writes US
An Interesting Letter.
An Accident as the Regiment Clears for
Sea-Nfee yoyage-Convenience af-
forded the Soldiers-He will Stop at
Hong Kong Will Visit Lazier's
Grave-Dorsey sends Some Word.

Grave-Dorsey sends Some Word.
AT SEA, ION board the Sherman,)
September, 80, 1899.
FRIEND KUNKLE:-We are now
204l miles from San Francisco and
having a delightful voyage. While
rot the fastest the Sherman is the
largest and best of the transports.
1t is fitted up In modern style through
out and there is no crowding or con-
fusion, whatever.
We have on board about 2 900 souls,
!, 100 of whom, are troops and 80 fe-
male nurses OF the Red Cross Society.
There is not sick man in the regi-
ment, the result Of the wedding out it
received before leaving Fort Sheridan.
The evening before We sailed box
Of percussion caps exploded injuring
four men two of them fatally. There
Is enough ammunition 10 the hold.to
kill every Filipino in the Islands each
shot being effective. The mail for
the Philippines would make pile as
high as the largest hay stack in Mon
ongalia county.
There is stored Ia the hold over
two million dollars in gold and silver
consigned to the paymaster al Manila
1t was hauled down the Frisco streets
in two wagons like so much old junk.
it is packed In small ircn bound
boxes. / see few barrels OF embalm-
ing fluid also, but it is not intended
for the beef. That like everything
else is the best money can buy in any
market. The Sherman, has two cleo
trio light plants. One runs during
the day the other at night. As there
is light at the head Of each berth
we generally read ourselves to sleep.
was back in Morgantown last night
Doctor Coombs was after me to sing
in the choir. / told him | had no
voice for singing but he insisted he
knew his business. Before i awoke
/ had made compromise with the
Doctor by which ! was to be excused
from singing In the choir provided |
hustled around the county and found
him a good girl to do general house.
work. 1t is growing little warmer
each day. Yesterday we laid aside
our coats and tomorrow we will draw
on clothing for the Philippines. All
the ice used is made on the ship, the
plant being busy night and day. Ia
the cold storage room the temperature
is 80 degrees.
The bath rooms are JOY forever.
They are fixed up for all kinds OF bath
ing with hot and cold, salt and fresh
water. The fresh water taken on at
Frisco is only used for the boilers and
bathing. The water for cooking and
drinking is made by machinery from
sea water and is the best ever drank.
The Sherman has 1--we decks, three
of them being used for troops. The
time is changed daily at o'clock In
the morning the clock being turned
back 20 minutes. After we leave
Honolulu it will be turned back 25
minutes each day.
In order to keep in deep water and
avoid typhoon we are taking the long
route to Manila which is 1900 miles
from Frisco. Our route from Frisco
TO Honolulu is 2,400 miles instead Of
1850 From Honolulu we sail north
till we strike the northern route then
to Nagasaki, Japan, and from there
TO the China sea and Manila, making
8, 600 miles from Honolulu to Manila
or about $4,000 miles from Morgan
town. We have band concerts daily
at 8 a. m. and p. m. Tonight we
will have burnt cork minstrel show.
Sorry we can't send out invitations to
our neighbors Have only sighted
one ship since leaving Frisco SO you
see this is not very good place for
ship wreck.
Dorsey wishes to remind his friends
that he now consideres himself
globe trotter" and expects Turner's
band to meet him at the depot when
he returns.
l will take a vacation in the near
future and will spend it in China.
While there will visit Hong Kong
and look up Frank Lazier's grave and
see that it receives any needed atten-
ton. Everyone on the ship has been
vaccinated since leaving Frisco the
second time for us in a few weeks
Our band gives sacred concert In
Honolulu Sunday evening. On the
program will be such music on 'sThe
Heavens are Telling" from the Crea-
ton, "Hallelujah Chorus" from the
Messiah, etc. Yours Truly,
WALTER A. MEsTREZAT.