The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-03-19
PROVIDENCE
YOUTH IN
WEST INDIES

Edward Silva. son OF George Silva,
veteran empioye OF the Adams Express
company, is aboard the United states ship
Yankee now on cruise and In writing
home TO relatives from Kingston, ia
naica, also Guantanamo. Cuba, and other
West Indian stations says the weather
there Is warm and delightful.
1--WE lay around the decks with white
linen suits on" he adds. 80 you can
ina gine how comfortable II Is. We have
been going barefooted on the ship for a
months. We do all our work in the
morning before breakfast, have two
drills In the forenoon and one In the after
noon and at the close OF the cruise De
subjected TO a rigid examination. Then, III
we pass, we get out rating az ordinary
seamen at sls a month. On the next ship
we must pass as able bodied seamen for
ia a month. Some or the boys for insub-
ordination are put In the brig for from
ten 20 thirty days. solitary confinement on
bread and water and full rations only ev-
cry third day. The brig is a sort OF cell
Just to hold one man and has small
aperture for air. When these hard tack
fellows come out they look like skeletons.
Thank goodness. I have not been In the
brig yet and feel confident that 1 car
avoid st.
"A German man -of-war came In here to-
day.
The people OF Kingston. Jamaica, DO no
work. They are oolored people. indolent
and Indifferent but speak the English
| language we'll"
| From santo Domingo. Hayti. he writes:
I'VE left Pensacola, Florida. about
| month ago for Guantanamo. Cuba. stayed
at the latter port two weeks and thence
went TO Kingston. Jamaica. When we
/ went ashore at Kingston. men. women
and children chased US asking US for
money The highest building is only two
stories and everything Is dear. except
fruit you can get 300 OF the best oranges
! for 30 cents.
Two days after we reached Santo Do
! mingo our steam launch went ashore and
we found the people on the island worry
| ing among themselves over the president
| The rebels fred at our launch and shot
| one OF our men-a Boston boy In the
/ head and he died within two hours. We
| buried him on shore the next day. We
/ are within mile from where the rebels
! are intrenched and they have been fight
| ing for two months. They stop at nothing
| even blowing the roofs off buildings.
"The rebels have given the people Just
! three days TO surrender. Our captain
\ picked out n squad from our ranks to go
| ashore and protect the American consul.
| II need be. There Is a Spanish and also a
| French man-of-war here and the day our
comrade was shot the Spanish command
er volunteered support and had his men
| picked to go over with us and face the
! insurgents. We must have paused at a
/ half-dozen ports betwene Santo Domingo
| and Guantanamo Cuba. Just think OF f.
there are right here In the bay six first
class battleshipe and double as many
cruisers.
"A notable fact at Kingston. Jamaica
- ,.
women. The baskets on their heads helt
anywhere from 1i5 to I25 pounds and the,
put In 800 tons OF coal In two days. Will,
at sea on Washington's birthday. we fired
a salute OF 21 guns In memory OF tn,
Father OF his Country hope 10 have
furlough and be home for a brief perioc
towards the close or April or early ir
| MAY"