The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-02-16
LETTER FROM HAVANA.
HAVANA, Cuba, Jan. 3rd.

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan. 3rd.
DEAR EDITOR If it were Dos
sble for me to do so l would give
you most interesting letter of my
trip TO Cuba and the events that have
transpired since our arrival, but l
am almost afraid to undertake to de-
scribe it all, ithas been so dreamlike,
SO unexpected. However, it will
not be fair not to mention some of
the events in my own poor style.
The first prize steamer of the late
war (the Panama) carried our party
consisting of General Keifcr) second
in command of the 9TH A. c. to
General Lee and staff, together with
the Headquarters oithc lst Division,
which included Col. Crcagcr, {. q.
NJ. and his various employees, | be-
my ct this number. The Panama is
not large steamer and can only ac-
commodatr Il matter Of $50 or 200
people, which was about the number
on board her duringthis trip. There
were probably so or 75 horses,
mules, camp equipments, provisions,
etc.
1t had been announced through
the various daily papers at Savannah
that ou' leaving time would be IL
a. Nj. Tuesday, the 9th ult. so a
goodly Y number of Savannah's citi-
zcns came down to the dock to see
us Oft, together with one of the regi-
mcnt bands OF our division. "A great
many of the officers and others on
board the boat who had wives and
dear ones 10 give good by made the
parting scene rather touching, more
so than | had hoped to see. A good
many tears were shed both bv those
on their way to Cuba and the dear
ones left behind to pray for our bon
voyage and protection in Cuba. All
the way down the river front as far
asthe Citvlimitspcople linedthe shore
shouting us Il las: farewell andav,vc
la Americans. To add a little to
the history of the event we were he
ing towcd out to sea by the well
known Filabuster "thc Dauntlcss" "
one OF the ne"test tugs on the Allan
tic Coast. At Tybce we struck the
open sea and were lett to the mcr-
cics OF old ocean. Fortunately for
the weaker ones we founda perfectly
calm sea devoid ofthose rolling bill
lows which strike terror to the hearts
ofthe "first voyagers" like myself
and for an hour or two make you
feel alarmed that You are going t,
die and later afraid that you will not
die to end your misery.
All the day long the sea felt love-
ly and there was not single roll
felt as the old Panama Glove through
the waves. We went straight out
to sea, | reckon about twenty or
TWENTY-FIVE miles from shore-far
enough to end the hopes Of some
that land might at least be in sight
if anything should happen to us. A
word about the Panama: She is Il
long and very narrow boat built in
1876, | think, byth clergy ofSpain
and presented to the Spanish Gov
ernment for sort of Hospitalsupply
boat. Her apartments still bear
Spanish notices, signs, etc. ] under
stand she is one of the feetest steam
ers in the Ameaican transportservice
and ought to be from the way she
is built. She bears the American
stamp now, however, and is marked
"No. l, Q. d. Dept, U. S. "A" The
old name Panama has been almost
entirely obliterated by good old A
merican white lead and paint. The
cabin accommodations were first
class, quite as good as most passen-
ger steamers and perhaps as COM
Portable as Pullman Sleeping Car.
Our cabin contained five berths which
were occupied by Meesrs. Norton,
Harm, Bonn, Hummell and myself.
Thisnumber represents all our cler-
ical force but one, Mr.. Key, who
occupied cabin nearby. Themeals
served were very good indeed, and
I am glad to say 1 way always ready
for mine when the bell rang, and did
full Justice to them. There were
some ofthe narty hardly as fortu.