Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-08-23
OFF FOR TIE PHILIPPINES
orrm our R..uIsr c.us,ra-.at5


ABOARD TRANSPORT THOMAS,
July 24th, : a. ma,
This is the real thing AN right. As ]
write | can hear the frantic efforts ot
several of my fellow passengers trying
to remove the inner membrane of their
stomachS. | am in a position to SYM
pathize with them and amy moment |
expect TO join them at the rail. There
Is something about the ocean that is in
| eXplainable--the motion | mean. Old
Lake Michigan isn't i'm il. The Pacific
has peculiar motion of its own. have
seen as heavy seas as we have had so
far on Little Traverse Bay. and our
boat gets twisted about very little but
few have missed being seasick.
When we left San Francisco at twelve
noon, yesterday, we were all satisfied
with life and happy. We anchored a
half mile from the dock for an hour
while our pilot came out and orders
were brought out by the government
steamboat "Slocum. After we had be-
gun dinner the Thomas" started and il
was not very long before good many
of us started for the rail. Excuse me
please a moment-?-?-:-:
Eight p. m. l wasn't as sick, as ex-
pected TO be when this letter was inter
rupted this morning and had 10 leave
the cabin. In fact have been pretty
well all day since breakfast. The
government has gone into q regular 80
days divorce business and we newly
married men can kick just as much as
we like, il is all the same 10 Uncle Sam.
There are several married men aboard
and some of them have not seen their
wives yet since they first went below
overcome by their feelings. All the
men are separated from the ladies,
married or single il makes no difference,
and are only allowed i'm each others
between meals and in the day
time. The sleeping and eating apart
ment are entirely separate but we try 70
make up for Uncle Sans eccentricitics
on deck between times. Ny wife and
were parted yesterday afternoon about
three O'Clock and did not see each other
until six this morning. She has state
room in the centre of the vessel with
lady and two children from Washington |
while am located at the extreme stern, |
III one of about 100 hunks in one apart |
ment. guess | was about the first 10 |
be seasick and didn't expect il at all in |
fact | scoffed at the idea. Soon after |
dinner | went away down in the hold, |
forward, to look for our baggage. There, |
the deck rose and fell and trembled and |
as | staggered about, IT did not take long |
to bring the desired result. Ireached the |
open air four decks above, pale and |
weak. / tried TO throw il off. Ny wife |
and Reed noticed il TO my chagrin and |
began to worry about me 1t was not |
long before Mrs. Eastman asked to go
below. We chewed gun frantically and |
ate down our last remaining lemons |
only to succumbin despair to the newt.
able. Then weak and discouraged we
left our belongings and started below.
The sight was amusing as we passed |
along, strong men reclining with pale
and agonized, though determined look |
on their faces turned their eyes inquir- !,
lngly as we passed A good many were
1selessly chewing at lemons and a few
already were leaning over the rail.
left my wife at her stateroom and
hurried away saying l would soon be
back. / steared for my bunk. L did
not get there before all the horrors of
had overtaken me. IL was
not so bad, but fellow cannot stop SO
sasily after his efforts have begun. At
ast | was rocked to sleep in spite of
myself after had made up my mind
hat cared for nothing on earth any
more. had tried once or twice to get
back to my wife but gave up and de-
,ided to let the vessel go down if wanted
20. But the Thomas" rode peacefully
IN with only slight trembling and
After good sleep felt like
myself again and got out on the upper
ieck to find everything all right yet.
hunted out my wife's stateroom and
a. tknx ~ L. -A~-s Al L