The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-22
THE ASIATIC STATION
LIEUT.. w. vi. crosse, OF BATTLE
SHIP KENTUCKY, WRITES.
Vessels of Various Nations in Chi
nese Weters-Imperfect Phil
ippine Charts.

A letter was received in this city last
week from Lieutenant w. NJ. Crosse, now
stationed the battleship Kentucky, writ
ten from Hong Kong, China, March s. In
part the letter says:
1--WE had short visit only in Manila and
We had good enough passage to hong
Kong. for rough seas trouble this big yes
sci very little. The Concord came over
week later and found 1t very rough. We
had big feet here when We first arrived
ton, Concord, Yorktown, Isle de Luzon and
New Orleans. The last left before the
short time later for Manila. That is fine
showing for our navy. The British have
some OF their finest ships here-the battle
ships Goliath and Centurion. both larger
than the Kentucky; the 14,000-ton cruisers
Terrible and Argonaut, the largest | ever
1000 tons, larger than the Atlanta They
have lots of ships scattered about the sta
ton and more coming. The French have
smokestack cruisers, the Portuguese and
Austrians one each. The Russians are very
strong on the station. but their ships are
north. The Kentucky remains here until
the first of April when go TO Shanghai,
800 miles north. Later in the year the fleet
is to go into the Yellow sea.
IMPERFECT CHARTS.
1T has been shown that it does not pay
to risk our fine ships cruising in Philippine
waters. where the charts are so imperfect,
thInA shall have the duty in those coun-
tries. Our new captain. c. II. Stockton, has
arrived and Captain Chester and his son
will probably return by the same ship that
brought Captain Stockton.
IL had one very pleasant duty in taking
charge of draft of men to Canton. / went
by steamer, taking forty men. L stayed on
the Monterey that night and returned the
next day with another draft of men from
no no trim was haa frl hut
the weather was cold and dark. L did not
have the chance TO, go up to Canton when
miles up the river from Hong Kong, and
our ships did not go there often. There
will be one stationed there hereafter for a
long time, L think, for there is likely TO be
a disturbance in Canton II the Chinese
break out again up north. The only part
from the river as / did MOI have a chance
10 go ashore. | have seen too many Chi
nese cities to care much about that part of
II. the chief attraction lying in the floating
population. There were thousands upon
thousands of junks and sampans in the
river. the people living in them as we live
In houses. Little babies played about the
tiny boats. In imminent danger of falling
overheard any minute. 1t seemed miracu-
alongside the wharf without capsizing some
of them, for the sampans seemed TO so
nearly under the paddle wheels The ia
flowers. being simply tea houses floating.
very gorgeous and probably somewhat i'm
moral.
A GREAT SIGHT.
"One of the sights of the trip is the load
ing of live fish on the steamer at Canton
for the Hong-Kong market. The fish are
reared in ponds near Canton and carefully
| fed. They are brought alongside the steam
| er in tank boats and passed up Hopping
in nets All the way TO Hong-Kong a man
| stands by each of the huge tubs on the
| steamer. dipping water up into a barrel and
allowing il TO run out i'm a kind of foun-
| tain into the tub. giving oxygen to the fish
| At Hongkon the rsh are quickly taken
10 the market and sold alive. the purchaser
carrying off the fish with piece of bamboo
through its top fins.
our drills and work go on as usual
have taken few walks on the island and
went 10 the races one day. Our mess was
invited 10 take tiffin at the races with the
officers of the Goliath In the naval stand
The royal navy had the best place at the
stand. and each British ship had invited
the officers OF "A foreign man-of-war TO
luncheon. 1t was quite an affair. The Eng
lish are great people for sport. The post
office closes for the races. do banks
offices and business houses. Everybody
/ IN Happy Valley. the only level place on
| the island of Hong Kong big enough for
| the track. ON the same ground are the
| football fields golf links and cricket fields
| The grandstand is OF stone and off 10 one
side is a long brick building used for the
or these rooms forms a private box and
| each H. engaged beforehand by the army
| navy and civilians. Tiffin Is served at about
o clock 10 guests and tea later in the day
No dreams OF war trouble us and we 90
our daily ways In peace and equanlmity"