The San Francisco call., 1904-03-20
BY Oscar King Davis.

had found an Englishman who could
speak a little Italian. Also he got
couple more firemen who could speak
little English, and with those three
interpreters he came on.
1t was coal and run all the way out,
and there was no incident to furnish
further excitement, although they were
a little nervous when they were pass
ing the Russian squadron, which is now
slowly going home again because it
couldn't run as fast as they could.
DAYS OF SUSPENSE.
The most interesting part of their
voyage was that from Singapore UP.
The situation was so critical when they
left Singapore, in the early days of
this month, that they were ordered to
go outside of Formosaf and not to stop
at Hongkong, but to come straight
away to Yokosuka. the big naval sta
ton near Yokohama. The captain did
not know how much coal they had.
The limits of conversation with the
chief engineer prevented him from
finding out exactly what the coal con-
sumption per day was. and he had the
stiff winds of the northwest monsoon
to meet in the China Sea- So he came
along with only a part OF the boilers
steaming. and just fire enough under
the others to keep the water warm,
ready in case of an emergency. They
had no desire whatever to meet any of
the Russian squadron, and they knew
how easy it would be for the Russians
to figure out exactly where they were
at any time. The only thing to do
was to run the best they could. AS
soon as they got out of the rough water
Captain Lea sent for his chief engineer
and made signals to him which that
gentleman could not help understand
ing.
We had something to lose" said the
captain in telling about ii. Our Gov
ernment had cut us adrift. They can
celed our commissions before we left
Genoa because they were afraid we
might get them into some international
complications. (He and Captain Payn-
ter of the Kasuga were on the retired
list of the British navy.) If the Rus
slams got us our Government wouldn't
do a thing for us, and it meant at least
a long time in Siberia before the Japa-
nese could get to us. / didn't want any
of that So l just told the old chief to
jam her, and made him picture of a
Russian prison. But it didn't do much
good, and instead of laundering in at
eighteen knots, which we ought to
have done, we came humping in at fif-
teen"
SERIES OF CELEBRATIONS.
From the time they reached the lin
its of the Yokosuka station, however,
/ things changed. Their troubles were
over. A guard of torpedo-boats escorted
the two ships up TO the station and
there were bands and banners Since
that it has been a grand round of en-
tertainments, banquets and receptions.
Committees had been busy for weeks
making arrangements, and all Japan
was waiting eagerly TO see the men
who brought out the two ships. The
fact that the navy, crippled as it was
by the loss of the big first-class battle
ship Shikishima, which is still in dock
at Sasebo repairing the damage done
in maneuvering, had already done up
the Russian fleet, did not in the least
impair the enthusiasm of the Japanese
about the new arrivals. The new ships
were not needed. but they might have
been, and the people were just as glad
to see them, or rather the men who
brought them. as if they had come just
in tie nick of time. The people will
have no chance to see the ships them
selves for some time. and no one ex-
cept the naval authorities has been per-
mitted to get a Flimpse Of them.