The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-02-01


Writes of His Surroundings and Of
the U S, s Yankton on Which He Is
Stationed.
The following extracts are taken from a
letter received this week by the editor OF
THE TINES from Assistant Paymaster
Thomas ID. Harris Of the United States
Navy. Mr.. Harris has many friends in
this city who will be pleased to get this
glimpse OF his life on shipboard in Cuban
waters, and at the same time learn that he
Is well:
u. s. s. YANKToN. NIPE BAY, CUBA.
January, s, 1901.
1t Is great treat to get news from home.
only wish the facilities for carrying our
mail might be improved so that your paper
could come more regularly. Our mail is
brought to Gibara by steamer and from
there 10 Nipe, distance of sixty-dve miles
overland by carriers.
The Yankten arrived at Gibara, Cuba, on
Nov. %, after q very rough voy age from
Port Royal, 8. c., most of the time OF
which found me in my bunk, dead to the
world, with the exception of the two hours
that we ran along the coast of San Saliva
dor. l would have given anything to be
back on land again, and II You have ever
experienced genuine case of sea-sickness
am sure would have h&d your sympa-
thy. 1t reminded me of the time tried to
learn to smoke cigars.
From Gibara We came here to Nipe to
finish the survey of the bay. Nipe Bay,
located on the N. X. coast of Cuba, is a
beautiful sheet of water of about ten miles
In length and five in width and Is said to be
the best harbor on the island. 1t Is prac-
tically surrounded by tropical wilderness
extending from the mangroves which border
the shore to the great high mountains that
loom up many miles in the interior. A few
native huts scattered along the shore, per-
haps dozen altogether, are about the only
visible signs of inhabitants. Most OF the
surrounding land has been purchased re-
Gently by the United Fruit Company of
Bosom, and they have already started sew
eral large banana plantations. We are
kept well supplied with this fruit, also
oranges, although the latter are not very
Plentiful in this part of the island
The climate here during the winter
months is almost perfect. The rainy season
ends about the middle of December, and
for the next three or four months very little
rain falls. The thermometer on board shio
registers on an average of IS degrees
through the day and the nights are de-
lightfully cool and refreshing. 1t seemed
rather odd after living in the north all my
life to 60 in bathing the day after New
Years, and staid in the water fully two
hours.
You may be interested to know some
thing about the ship which am on, the
Yankton. She Is steam yacht OF 1000
tons displacement, 200 feet long and has 80
foot beam. She was built In Scotland
seven years ago and has had several different
owners and as many different names. At
one time she was leased by Sarah Bern
hardt for pleasure cruise. She was pur-
chased by the u. s. government at the be-
ginning of the war with Spain and convert
ed into gun boat, carrying six three
Founders. During the war she was kept
on blockade duty and at the close of hos
tilities she was placed on survey duty, sur
veying the coast of Cuba. For small
vessel the Yankton is very comfortable, be-
ing supplied with electric lights and fans,
an ice machine, water distilling plant, tub
and shower baths. Our staterooms COM
pare favorably with those of some of the
larger ships. The ships complement con-
sists Of eight officers, including the drafts
man, and seventy EIGHT men.
We have just completed the survey of
Nipe Bay which was began by the Yank-
ton last spring, and from here we 20 to
Cabonico aud Livisa Bays to survey the
same. They are located few miles east
OF here and are much smaller than Nipe
Bay so that we will probably finish survey
ing both before we go north in June.
With kindest regards, remain very sin
cerely yours, T. ID. HARRIS.