The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-12
DESCRIBED BY CLARENCE Ro-
zELLE, OF THIS CITY.
He Il Musician Of Company E,
Forty.seventh Infantry-Letter
Was Posted in Colombo Harbor on
December o-Scranton Members Of
the Regiment Are All Well-stops
That Were Made by the Transport
After It Sailed from New York.
Trip Through the Canal.

the lowlands and is more like an
American city than any we have seen.
1t Is a beautiful spot and has beau-
tiful harbor. We are about n mile or
two from the city. and 7 think we VIII
be moving in about two hours. l get
tired staying in port so long. We all
want to get over there and they can't
get us over there quick enough. 1t
will take about twcnty~four hours 20
60 through the canal. Suez Is at the
other end, and the belief Is that we
stop there too.
would not have missed this trip
for anything. 1t Is an education in
itself we'll worth twenty months
hardship. Here we are about 100 miles
south of Suez and ] believe we are
going into the Red sea. We left Port
Said last night about 10 o'clock and
wended our way through the Great
Suez Canal" Before leaving Port Said
we had to take on a complete electric
plant from the engine down to the
lights. because they won't allow any
boat to go through with their own
lights. We arrived at Suez this morn
ing about II O'Clock. 1t is very
barren country indeed. Every time
two boats pass on the canal one has
to tie up to let the other pass.
SAW TURKISH SOLDIERS.
While putting off the electric plant
at Suez q Turkish vessel passed MS
with lot of Turkish soldiers on board.
We have already crossed the spot
where Moses led the children of Israel
across the Red sea. We are half way
TO our destination now and in about
four weeks we will be ut cur journeys
end.
Nov. o9.-.Tomorrow will be Thanks
giving day and we will have our
Thanksgiving dinner furnished by Miss
Helen Gould. There isn't much going
on aboard ship. We saw some flyin;,
fish this afternoon; they We're about
six inches long.
Nov. 30.--Well, we have had our
Thanksgiving dinner and we all en-
joyed it very much. Here Is our menu:
Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed
potatoes gravy. bread. coffee. oranges.
1t is getting quite warm now, and in
two weeks we expect To BE- almost to
the equator. Then we go northeast to
the Philippines. Everything in the
way Of drill is DISPENSED with today
on account of the holiday. 1t seems
almost like Sunday. We haven't had
a drop of rain since we left Malta.
We will surely stay off at Colombo.
on the Isle Of Ceylon. We have only
one stop after that, and that is at
Singapore in the Malay peninsula;
after that We strike Manila. We have
just passed what they call the Twelve
Apostles" great hig rocks in the sea.
] don't think we will be anywhere near
Alden until morning. We have moved
our quarters now and are on" deck
higher. We will go through the Straits
of Babel Monday. and when we get
to the other end we go through what
is called THE Gate Of Tears"
TABLE OF DISTANCES.
Below you will find the table Of dis
tance from port to port: From New
York to Gibraltar. 1857 to Malta 1126:
to Port Said, 1,O4t; to Suez. Sc: to
Alden. 1.400 to Colombo. 2,47G: to Sin
gapore. 1890; to Manila. l,59G miles,
making a total of 1884 miles, of which
we have gone 7,345 and having some
1896 miles to go yet On our return
we have to go from Manila to San
Francisco and from there to New
York.
Dec. 3.-We have traversed the Red
sea, and have come out into the Ara
bian sea. We have been out of sigh:
of land very nearly the whole run from
Suez. We passed through the Gate
of Tears" and the Straits OF Babel
mendeb.
We are now just off the northeast
coast of Africa, or rather, an island of
the coast of Africa. We will in all
probability reach Colombo about Thurs
day. and from there to Singapore will
be a run Of seven days. About 4 O'Clock
this afternoon we could see away across
the water in the west two whales
spouting.
Dec. Ave have had a heavy sea for
the last two days and it makes The
snip rock like a cradle. Our water
supply is running short and they have
cut 1t down considerably. At first we
could get all we wanted, but now we
nave certain times in which we car
get II from to Il. m, 1l.30 "A. m. I,
l.3o p. m. and from to and to II
J.. m sometimes you can not get neal
the tank, so many are there for water
We have to line up before you can gel
any a guard is stationed and he turn.
the faucet on for us, so you see ther,
Is no way in which you can carry an,
away. We can't wash anything yer,
clean here, owing to the use of sail
water. At Malta we took on a larg,
quantity Of coal and it made every,
thing black.
NEAR THE EQUATOR.
When we reach Singapore we will b,
seventy miles from the equator and on,
degree north of it. We are ten de
Grees north Of it now, and only for ;
stiff. cool breeze we would suffer great
ly with the heat.
Dec. 6-We are very near to Colombo
There isn't much news to be had o,
board. We go through the same rou
tine daily. There Is u rumor aroun,
that We won't be any longer than fou
weeks In Manila before we are ordere,
home. but, as you know. all rumor
don't come true and ! don't think thi
one will.
We expect to be In sight of Ceylol
Thursday morning. not likely befor
night. There has been quite n mum
Der Of different ways in which this ha
been written, on the head of my drum
on book on the writing table am
several other ways The band give
two concerts daily on the boat, on
about 3 to 4 in the afternoon, and tn
other about 8 o'clock. They have al
of Sousa's latest marches, and the ban
itself 10 not a bad one.
Colombo Harbor, Dec. 9.-We hav
arrived at Colombo at last. and here
will post this long letter. John Keller
man, OF Scranton. has been made
sergeant. All of the Scranton boys ar
we'll. Clarence I. ROZelle,