Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-22
EXPERIENCES ABOARD THE TRANSPORT
Soldiers Attacked En- Route by
Smallpox and the Mumps.
GAMBLING FOR CLOTHING

was mailed The landing had not been
made, but the troops were expecting the
order to disembark.
The writer details the experiences of the
trip from Honolulu, taking up the subject
where he had dropped it in a previous let
ter.
ON BOARD THE TRANSPORT
FITZPATRICK" May Ii. 1901.
We were nine days in quarantine at Hon.
olulu, and nine miserable days they We're
The ship was always undergoing fumiga-
ton at one point or another and che fumes
of sulphur were always in your nos
trils. 1T reminds one of his future home"
some said.
The ship was being coaled by the crew,
and they distributed coal from stern to
bow. The coal was nearly all passed
through the soldiers dining room, which
was not used for dining purposes for a
week. the men being compelled to eat on
deck or any old place they could find
Can there be more severe punishment
for a human being than we experienced?
Nine long days and nights within ten min
utes ride of the most beautiful of cities
and then to leave without touching a foot
on land!
We left Honolulu bay April % and every
body heaved a big sigh of relief when the
steamer got in motion. The sick were left
at the marine hospital, to follow by trans
port when able.
Two days out smallpox broke out for the
second time on the trip. Sergeant Long
Company 1. 18th Infantry, was the victim
He was on the sick report several days
but the surgeon each day marked him
duty" which implied that the surgeon
did not consider him sick enough for the
hospital, and compelled him to try to eat
the coarse food given the soldiers. L was
present the last day the sergeant was up
before the doctor" He presented a pitia-
bic appearance. He was almost nervous
wreck and told the doctor So but the doc
m nty hat
his comrades carried the sergeant to the
hospital on litter and they We're COM
PEELED to take him In.
1t was rumored around at night that
smallpox was again in our midst. A por-
ton of the deck had been roped off near
the hospital and the sergeant was isolated
Inc next day every one was vaccinated
again, which makes three times on this
boat. and the horrors of fumigating were
experienced once more. Fortunately no
new cases broke out, and the reports from
the IN, nospltai Were that the sergeant had
a very light dose and would soon recover
another report was that the poor fellow
hdd recovered from the smallpox only to
De taken down with the mumps. This
proved to be true.
me hospital is overlooking with mumps
cases. An old sergeant, who has nearly
| thirty years to his credit, was much morti-
ned when he felt his glands swelling with
| sucn a juvenile ailment. He sheepishly
tod the doctor of the swelling, hoping it
was other than the mumps, but was doom
ed 10 disappointment and was bundled off
to the hospital
Every day new cases would show I'D, and
L sincerely felt sorry for the patients Sol
diers generally consider a case of mumps
humorous subject. and as each passed
the gauntlet on his way to the hospital he
was greeted by laughs and cat calls
The commissary on board was robbed of
forty boxes of cigars and several boxes OF
candy the night of May 2. A thorough
search of the vessel was made but only
two boxes of cigars We're found in the pos
session of one man He was Immediately
confined in the brig. Most of the cigars
We're found in the coal bunhers. A large
number of men were put through the sweat
ing process with poor results. as the thieves
were loyal. Several officers put the knowl-
edge gained from Sherlock Holmes to the
test, only TO fail dtsmally.
The trip, aside from the sickness and the
food, has been pleasant the weather
and sea have been all that could be de-
sired. The 18th Infantry Band plays three
times daily. and their efforts are greatly
appreciated. They do not take as much
interest in their music as they did while
playing at the White House last winter
but are enough interested In their work
to produce good music. Popular tunes are
always sung by the soldiers.
Agree to Disagree.
The crews on the transports and the SOL
diers do not get along very well together.
The men of the crew consider themselves
superior beings and have great part of
the deck where the detested soldier is kept
off by a guard. When they wash down
decks at II o'clock at night it is their great
delight to turn the hose on the sleeping
soldiers, wetting them thoroughly. One
young soldier protested one night and a
brute kicked him in the mouth cutting his
lips badly and knocked one of his teeth out.
An investigation was held, but nothing was
done. Another night they turned the hose
on soldier, who proceeded to do up the
crew in business-like manner but they
were too many for him. Upon investiga-
ton the soldier was held to be in fault and
Judge Duffy fined him so.
The men in the crew of a transport are,
as a rule, composed OF the scum of the dock
dives, with the exception of possibly one
in hundred. The government pays them
'S35 month and found" Transport wages
are from two to five times greater than on
merchant steamers. On this small boat
there are at least fifteen sinecures that pay
over 500 per month. They have six officers,
while merchant vessel does the same duty
with three.
The troops have drawn clothes aboard,
but | am afraid the men who originally
drew them will not derive any benefits
from them, as gambling games for clothes
have been going on for two weeks and
some of the soldiers have not got a change
of Undertaking left. I have been expect
ing to see a stop put to this demoralizing
practice, but the game goes on night and
day and the tables are piled high with
clothing.
An old soldier was sitting on the deck
What's the matter, old man?' asked the
corporal, ARE you studying for a commits
sion?'
Nope; I'm trying little on dismal frac-
tons"
Decimal fractions, eh?"
Nope, dismal fractions I'm trying to
figure out how to pay $45 debts out of s36
salary.
Since my letter from Honolulu the food
has improved slightly.
The ships commissary has transferred
the responsibility tc the regimental COM
missary. Stew is the bill-of-fare eight
times out of ten. The men can live an
indefinite time on this. but they mechan-
ically stuff it down as it long since lost its
taste.
The officers of the organizations on
board have treated the men under their
command with great consideration. They
have fought, in an official way, for better |
food for their men, but without success.
The cavalryman APPLY described the food
when he called it fierce
The men go to great extremes to get |
change of food. Very few of them have |
had any money to buy extras. They are