Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-28

part Of the Atlantic at this season o
the year; but we hope to make bette
time after we get few hundred mile
east of Bermuda"
The next letter is dated Latitude q
North, Longitude "A West, Sunda!
morning, January 81. This is yer.
near the middle Of the Atlantic at 1t
widest part and about half way be
tween the Bermudas and the Canar!
Islands. Among other things the let
ter says:
eve have been very successful Will
our wireless experiments and I think
have broken all records. We were
talking a night or two ago to Hat
teras 1900 miles away. The operator
there told us that there was a snow
storm raging in New York; but tha'
did not interest US much, when We
are in a temperature of rs or 80 de-
grees. He also told US OF the ground
ing of the battleships in New York
harbor. When 1 began this letter the
understanding was that the Maryland
was approaching US with q new tow
ing machine, and would Join US to-
morrow. That is why I began tc
write, but now I understand that there
will be no chance to get this of or
the Maryland. She is only one OF
the four ships that form the wireless
connection, and will not come any
nearer. It is the intention of the cap
tain to send this ship to the Canary
Islands after water, and II he does dc
so we will get to land in about three
weeks; but otherwise we will have to
walt until we get to Gibraltar, when
we will have been away from land al
least six weeks. 1t will take us about
three weeks to run through the Med
iterranean to the Suez canal and II
will require at least a week to GO
through the canal. In this event sew
eral Of US will go TO Cairo and to the
pyramids.
Through means Of wireless mes
sage received yesterday, we learned
that Sigsbee's squadron had arrived al
Gibraltar, after a rough voyage. There
is always a heavy swell on the Allan
tic, but 1t is unusually heavy today
and suppose that 1t comes from the
rough weather that caught Sigsbee.
when there is any swell at all run
ming, this ship is certainly a roller
There have been times when we were
unable to sit at table during meals
We would just have to take our plates
in our hands and sit around on the
transoms, holding on as best we could
The surgeon has a pup aboard, and
feel sorry for II sometimes. The little
fellow does not seem to understand
why the deck should drop from under
him as he walks and then come back
to meet him. He looks at US with an
expression of puzzled bewilderment
that is indeed comical.
81 have been seasick only once. That
was for little while during the first
afternoon we struck the Atlantic.
frequently because Of the rolling Of
the ship can find nothing better to
do than lay abed and read. 1t is too
hard work TO sit up.
"As / went on deck Thursday morn
ing, observed the quartermaster get
ting out the United States flag to be
hoisted. 1t is usual to show the ships
colors on the sighting Of another ship,
and 1 scanned the horizon for trail
of smoke. There was nothing in sight
but water, so I asked the quartermas-
ter for an explanation. He told me that
a Chinaman, one Of the crew OF the
Caesar, had died during the night, and
was to be buried in q short while
Flags were hoisted on all the ships
Then later they were half-masted and
the body of the Chinaman was lowered
into the water. Another Chinaman
died last night of heart trouble, and the
bugle has just sounded taps for him
It's a weird experience.
Just now l see no prospects Of being
able to mail this letter for a month
yet 1 have gotten somewhat recoacil-
ed to the situation and am putting In
most of my time reading and studying;
but am looking forward with pleas
ant anticipation to the mail hope tc
get on my arrival at Gibraltar.
The foregoing letter was given
passing steamer later on and reached
New York on the first day Of May
at o'clock p. m.
The next letter was written off the
southern coast Of Sicily and was dated
Tuesday, April 3. In part 1t was as
follows:
I'VE passed Gibraltar early Sunday
morning, March 20. The strait is yer!
narrow and we could plainly see the
coast of Spain on the left and Africa
on the right. Both coasts were noun
famous, but the Spanish coast seemed
to be more fertile than the African
Just as we were in sight Of the rock o.
Gibraltar we were enveloped in very
bad fog and could not see anything a.
all. The tug was in Gibraltar waiting
IOT us lO pass uut BIC Souio NV SN>
us. We sent a wireless to some Brit
ish ships in the harbor and they tole
the tug we were passing. There wa:
strong current with us through TIT
strait, so the tug did not overtake u:
until Tuesday morning, when we go
the mail.
I'VE have had good weather In TIT
Mediterranean except two days. Las
Thursday morning at 1890 1 wa!
awakened by a violent rolling OF TIT
ship and / never slept a wink unit
morning. There had evidently beer
some heavy weather in the Gulf o
Lyons, just north Of US, and we wer'
getting the swell from 1t. We rolled
more than ever, the biggest roll being
43 degrees. / am a hardened saiio
now and do not get sick; but 1t Is no
pleasant to have to hold on to some
thing all the time to keep from being
thrown around the ship.
Our ships stopped towing at noon oi
Friday and all the ships headed norti
to avoid rolling so badly. We onl!
made twenty miles along our cours'
that day. This ship rides beautifuii!
Union che ia running away from or int