Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-10
TRINIDAD
Midshipman CoChrane Writes
Of That City and Voyage
Of Evans Fleet

ceived from Midshipnan William
Cochrane by his parents. Midshipman
Cochrane is on the Varmont of Adj
miral Evans Pacific fleet. The let
ter follows
Port of Spain, Trinidad, Dec. %, 1907
U.S.S. Vermont
My Dear Mother and Father: Here we
are in the Port of Spain, Trinida,i,
anchored about four miles out. We
came in at o'clock this afternoon
and had fine trip down, fine weather
except that it was hot and it is very
noticeable to one coming from cold
place like Hampton Roads. The peo-
pie are out looking us over. The
town appears to be a large place and
the bands are playing and getting
ready to show us good time. 1 saw
a burial at sea on the way down; some
man died on the Alabama. We were
some distance-it was impressive but
very, sorrowful. 4 The feet, stopped,
half-masted eolors, and the Alabama
had all hands aft and dropped the
body oyer the starboard side.3 Every
one is feeling fine and, in good health.
We coal ship tomorrow, but will only
put on 635 tons $50 tits easy. We
came down past ST.. Thomas-off east
of Porto Rico-the Missouri and Him
OILS went to San Juan to land the sick.
Everyone is as happy as you can make
them-we will see all there is to the
town and will tell you more about it
in my next letter, which will be mail
ed the last of the week. We leave,
Sunday for Rio, and will cross the
line-the equator-when there will he
Esome great doings. We have had our
hair clipped and we are about the
worst looking bunch that you ever
saw. We have an officers row
Christmas morning and an officers
football in the afternoon and a big
dinner in the wardroom to which we
have invited all the superior officers
and there will be some more doings.
Say-there are, some fine looking girls
here and we ought to make hit with
our hair: all Clipped Off don't think.
4 We are training for target practice
now and will go on the range the day
after We reach Magdalena bay. 1t was
an impressive sight when we left the
old U. S. The president came down
about 5 O'clock a. m. All the, ships
fired salute of 81 guns and manned
4 the rail-then we got under way-the
president leading in the Dolphin-this
was after the commanding officers of
the fleet had called upon the presi-
dent great crowds of people and
down at the capes the Dolphin stopped
and the president reviewed the fleet,
each ship firing 81 guns as she passed
the president then sent 'bon voy-
age" etc; also ''The president desires
to inform all officers and men that it
is the present intention to have the
fleet return by the way of Suez after
a few months stay on the Pacific
WeSexpect to leave for the east next
September and return to Boston by
the following May or June. December
e. Well, another Christmas has come
and gone and we had strenuous one
here to say the beast. We rowed in
the morning. l was on watch, but
was relieved 1 rowed with the crew
we lost to the Kentucky. Then we
went to the Georgia and had some
eggnog, then back and / went on
watch until 1890 p. M, and at /
o'clock l went ashore to play baseball
!, played the Kansas and Alabama
won first game y to 1, second game
to 2, then back to the ship-the ward
room to dinner-got through at 9 and
then / had to go ashore to get OH
liberty party-then went out with a
party of our officers to serenade the
, other ships and sing our Christmas
carols, etc.-got back at l am. Prices
have gone up in the town to higf
&c" and there is not much here, bu
pretty place and the harbor is sur
rounded by high hills and-hot! Ev
eryone stops working during the after
noon, all stores close at noon now
because of the horse races and 4 p
NJ is their opening time. Some very
, fine and pretty residences here sort
of lattice work and very prett,
grounds, but this is no place for me
Principal industry seems making co
Goa and some kind of bitters. We soor
, leave for Rio. where there will b,
much to see. The cold place in tn,
town is SO. Now, what do you know
about that? The mail leaves for tn,
r States tonight.
Is percent discount on Winter I'm
: dormaor ord djttouc at fha Fair. n,