The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-22

but mile wide and not we'll surveyed,
thereby necessltating them to pass the
nights at anchor Interesting descrip-
lions are given of the natives of the
countries they visited. on the 18th Of
August they reached Callao, Peru. on
the Pacific coast. and here they spent
number of very pleasant days. In
later letter he mentions the fact that
they left callao on the 2sth, and after
an uneventful passage reached Hon
olulu on the 18th Of September. The
run, a distance of 500 miles, was made
at an average speed Of twelve knots an
hour and without sighting a sail. he
gives succinct account Of the city,
its strange features and points Of in-z
terest.
In Northern Waters.
In April, 1894, he was transferred to
the adams" and went to Puget
Sound. There he was again trans
ferred, this time to the ''Mohican,"
which made a,cruise in Rering sea. "A
letter written by him while In Alaska
and published In the Intelligeneer, Is
descriptive of his experiences In that
region. His vessel assisted in q num-
Der of seizures for illegal sealing, and
was constantly making cruises along
the coast and among the islands. In
this way he was enabled to obtain
many a glimpse Of the vast northern
country over which the flag Of the
United States floats. sitka, the capital
of Alaska, is one OF the best known
towns In the world, and yet, says he,
1t contains population OF but 400, the
majority Of whom are Indians, His
conclusion was, Alaska was a good
Investment. She paid q hundred times
over" After stay Of few months
In that territory he sailed for San
Francisco, arriving there In October,
1894. He was transferred to the olym-
pla in February of the next year. A
little later he came east for his final
examination, af.ar which he spent a
short vacation in Wheeling In July,
1896. he rejolned the Olympia and went
to what is called the Asiatic station.
We now find that slight change has
been made in his title, slight to US per-
hnps but pregnant with meaning to
every young tar that has been allowed
to lay aside cadet" and place in its
stead Ensign" Hereafter he is to be
known as Ensign DOddridse.
While in Japan he wrote another LETT
ter to his friends in Wheeling, and a
part of 1t was printed in the IntellIgen-
Ger. He speaks in detail Of an import
ant social function he attended. name
ly, IAN Imperial Japanese Garden
Party" and there he obtained his first
glimpse Of the MIkadO. mot" says he,
'the Mikado of Gilbert and Sullivan,
but a genuine flesh and blood Mikado,
dressed In the uniform Of general Of
the army. Slightly above the ordinary
height and rather stoutly built, he i'm.
pressed me by the strength Of charac-
ter marked In every line Of his face"
We are privileged to read another LETT
ter from him which bears the date Of
June Is, 1895, and was written at Yo-
kohama, Japan. From It we learn
that "the Olympia left Morsung, the
anchorage ut Shanghai, May Q, accom-
panied by the Detroit. MSehIas and
yorktown, and cruised northwHrd along
the China coast, exercising at fieetdrlll
on the way. We arrived at cheetoo on
the 18th and remained there ten days.
During our stay we were 80 busy with
our drill that we had little time to
spend on shore" @
On tho SD the Olympia left cheefoO
and started for vladivostolS Siberia, to
attend the festivities in connection with
the coronation OF the car. There they
were treated to constant round Of en-.
tertainment and gAyety. They left this
place on the Srd of June for Yokohama.
from which point his letter was writ.
ten.
Transferred to the Boston.
Some months afterward. Ensign Dod-
bridge was transferred to the Boston,
and the next letter, OF which we have
any account was written on board
that vessel which was then stationed at
Chemulpo. Korea. The letter bears the
datc of October a. 1897. He begins by
describing Japanese theatrical per-
formnnce. a ludlcrous feature OF which
is that 1t begins at 10 a. m. and con-
tinues without lnternlssIon until Z p,
m. He further states: ION the 22d OF
September at CheCfoO, was transferred
from the Olympia to the Boston, as
watch and division officer. The Boston
lett Cheefoo for Chemulpo, September
"a, and arrived here the next day. We
expect to remain here until January l."
On tho 9Th of April, 1898, we again
find him indltlng a letter on board the
Boston, which was then stationed at
Hong Kong. This ia an interesting one
because 1t was written less than q
month before the Manila engagement
and lg expressive of tho feeling Of the
American sailors ut that time. 1--WE