Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-10-17
SAILORS LETTERS.
One of Uncle Sans Boys Describes
Varied Experiences.

klbanv This shin was formerly the
Nicfheroy and was bought, unfinished, OF
Brazil early in the Spanish American war
She was built at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tyne;
Eng. She was finished early last year ana
for some months was cruising in the Med
iterranean. When the Chinese troubles
arose she went to Hong Kong. She stayed
there a short time and then was ordered 70
Manila. She cruised about the Fhilp-
mines until last July when she started LOT
the Mediterranean. 1t is thought she VIII
be sent home for repairs. The following
letters from Mr.. Role VIII be read with
interest especially by his former helsh-
bors in Tunbridge.-lE
U.S.s. ALBANY, ADEN, ARABIA, 20,
Sept. /, 1901.
DEAR FATHER AND BRoTHER:-l have
not received a letter from you since we lett
Manila and do not expect to until we
reach Port said. We leave for there to-
morrow or next day. II viii take week
ar ten DAYS probably. Since ! wrote you
last we have been through some exciting
times.
Islands, TO Port Victoria, island OF Name,
where we STAYED four or five days, then
sailed for this place. The second day out
We ran into q storm that lasted until the
dav before we rot in here. No one got
any sleep rrest. Seas were breaking over
US ali the time. We had 70 run out OF our
way 10 keep out OF the trough Of the sea.
| A week ago Sunday night about midnight
| the vessel gave roll that almost stood as
1 on our feet, was lying on the berth deck
/ forward where had moved after having
/ To change my underclothes twice because
OF getting wet by seas that came aboard.
/ had lust got up and rolled up my blankets
when the messenger came down and called
the life boat crew TO man the boat, saying
1 there was a man overheard, went on
deck al once and found two men had been
washed OF the poop or after part Of the
ship. One was a landsman, named Schultz
/ from Chicago, the other seaman named
McCarty from Brooklyn. Three men saw
them 90 overheard MeCarty came up and
one OF the men shouted TO him 70 watch
out for the life buoy when Il was let 20.
| He answered, but the men could not make
out what be said. The other fellow could
not swim and was not seen again. The
/ ship was stopped and the searehlighis
/ turned on as soon as possible, but nothing
was seen Of him again. / stayed on deck
until 1t was time for me 10 60 on watch Al
| 4 o'clock. We stayed around where the
men went over until about o'clock, when
we got a signal 10 90 ahead full speed. Lee,
/ chief, was on watch on the starboard ana
/ / on the port engine. Al 6.25 a, m, ] re-
ported to the officer Of the deck, through
| the speaking tube, that the ashes were
ready TO send up and he sent two men to
/ man the ash whips. Al this time we were
/ making about 90 revolutions per minute,
or II knots an hour. The men had just got
the order when we got signal to stop inn
mediately, and this WAS followed By sig
nal for fun speed astern. We knew some
thing must be wrong and stopped the en-
gines quickly, reversed them and started
/ full speed astern as soon as possible. BY
the time we had the ship stopped word
came down that Lentile, gunner's mate,
was overheard, but later we found that II
was messenger boy, named Perkins. He
| had been washed overheard while dump
/ ing bucket Of ashes over the side. He
/ got tangled up in the log line IA line at
tached to an instrument drawn astern,
with a small propeller attached to measure
| the distance travelled) after going over
and was hauled aboard by the line. The
surgeon and some officers worked over
him about an hour, but could not bring
him to life. The captain had all the pro-
visions taken out of the cold-storage room,
put the body in there and brought 1t here.
| The funeral was at sunrise Friday morn
ing. He was buried with military honors.
/ was on watch and could not attend, but
| got chance to see a part of the service
/ through the engine-room hatch.
We are getting nearer home all the time
and hope We win sail fast till We get there.
| IL - very NhFiu mere hua viii De All the
way 10 Port said, especially through the
canal. Please give my love to all friends
and tell them that as soon as we get into
the Mediterranean / viii write them all.
| You see by the dirt and sweat on this pa
| per il is hot here.
With love and best wishes.
| Your son and brother,
CHARLEY.
q. S. S. ALBANY, sUEz, EGYPT.
Sept. II, 1901.
DEAR FATHER AND BROTHER
Have received four letters from you and
one from Daisy, besides the HERhLDs.
| The latest letter received was dated Aug. l.
This is the first mail have received since
we left Manila, three months ago. We
| got in here night before last and anchored
at midnight. Expect to start on our way
| through the canal tomorrow morning and
will coal at Port Said Saturday, then leave
at once, as the plague is there and the port
is quarantined. ] hear il talked we are
| going to Genoa, Italy, from Port Said but
am not certain Of this | hope we will be
ordered home and that viii not be trans
ferred II we are. In my last letter | wrote
you about our passage from Seychelles
islands to Alden, and about losing three
men overheard but forgot to write you OF
our trip from Colombo to Seychelles and
the visit Neptune paid us.
| We had fine weather all the way. About
s o'clock the night before we crossed the
line 1.-THE equatorl, Neptune hailed the
ship and ordered the ship heaved to- He
was answered by the officer of the deck
and requested to come aboard. He came
over the bow and went on the bridge,
where he met and notified the officer OF
| the deck that he would be on board again