Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-12-27
ENR0UTE TO SINGAPORE
Guy |. Thornton Finds the Time
on War Ship Hangs Heavy"
INDIAN OCEAN, ENROUTE TO
SINGAPORE

INDIAN OCEAN, ENROUTE TO
SINGAPORE
Nov. 18th 'O6.
Mr.. f. II. Thornton Grand Rapids,
Wis.-Time hangs heavily on my hands
some days and this happens to be one
of them.
1t takes a month for a letter to
reach home from here but [ suppose
it won't take so long from Manila.
The last mail we got (at Colomo Nov.
y left the states Oct. 4th. having
gone to London then to Colomo via
SueZ.
We expect to get into Singapore
Friday Nov. 9th and Manila the 20,
then target practice off Manila Bay
Of one week after which we go into
dry dock to scrape the bottom, and be
in Hong Kong for Christmas.
OF course we know nothing def
nately but such are the rumors.
Target practice being so near at
hand now we general quarters"
every day, when the bugle sounds
general quarters every MAJ gets to
his gun station about as fast as he
knows how. We had them last night
at 10 O'Clock. We go through the gun
drill with dummy shells and powder
bags having the same weight and
size as the regulation.
The shell of our eight inch gun
(Which | am ON weighs 250 lbs. and
the powder bags about So lbs. each.
The powder is a mixture of gun
cotton and nitro-glycerine forming a
colliod like celluoid and made up
into sticks about the size of a lead
pencil and an inch long, being perfor-
ated so that it will burn from the
inside as well as the outside causing
instantaneous combustion. While
leaving ColOmO we met a French
Cruiser going in which saluted US.
Why. how insignificant the European
men of war look beside ours. Our
four armoured cruisers can whip any
thing in the China seas besides our
gun boats and torpedo boats, and
even battle ships will join us after a
short time. We have had delightful
weather all this trip, but lately
squalls have been coming up and we
expect some weather before long. l
rather enjoy rough seas now and
then. Its amusing to see some of the
"Old Salts (?) going about with
white faces and empty stomachs.
Ilappilyssea sickness does not attack
me SO | have the laugh on them. Its
q common error to think that every
one gets used to it, for while ithasn't
hit me some of the three years in the
service men go down and out every
time the ship begins to pitch and roll
a little.
Nov. Il arrived at Singapore the 9th
we coaled up n day, took on only
$50 tons as the port was short and we
had used less than the other ships
having better boilers. We usually
put on II to 20 hundred tons. Clean
ing up after coaling is the biggest job
Of all. l was with five other fellows
today washing down the mast and one
fellow threw a cigarette stub down
from aloft and it caught on the
bridge awning, burning a hole about
as large as a dinner plate. All Of us
are on the report for it and expect
about 5 days bread and water in the
brig (prison). We know who did itof
course but unless he confeSses we all
get punished, as it is strictly against
the sailors code of honor to sQuel ona
shipmate. There are very few com
forts on board a man-of-war. A man
in perfect health, as l am most of the
time, gets along all right, but a sick
man is certainly in hard luck.
Today the swimming call was
'ounded and all hands went over
board in a jitfy. 1t was great sport,
no danger of humping ones knees on