The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-16
Is Secretary to Captain OF c. s. s
North Carolina.
RETURN FROM PANAMA
Tells OF Conditions and Com.
forts on Canal Zone.
Plans Making for Worlds Fair
There in 1915.


Mrs. Walker Combs, was written by
her son. Howard, stenographer and
secretary TO the captain of the United
States battIeshfp North Carolina
which has just returned with the Taft
party from Panama
Mrs Combs is at present in Topeka
and for many years was a resident
here. Her husband. formerly train
dispatcher of the Santa Fe at Topeka
is now assistant superintendent of the
Frisco at SapuIpa, Okla.
Howard Combs is well known in To-
peka and while here he was a railway
telegraph operator and also stenog-
rapher for santa Fe and Rock Island
officials
L 8 5 North Carolina. at Sea, Gulf
of Mexico, Feb 10, 1909.
Dear Mother AS We will get into
South Pass some time late today. or
early tomorrow I will take time to
Pass is at the mouth of the Mississippi
river where the scout cruisers +4Birm-
iugham" and Salem will meet US to
take Mr. Taft and party up TO New
Orleans Then we go on out eastward
to meet the feet and come back to
Hampton Roa ds. arriving there Feb
ruary Il or p.
We left Charleston, s G, Jan %,
want. his stenographer, one secret ser
vice man, and seven engineers Just
outside the bar the Z. S. s. Montana
fell in behind Us, with nine newspaper
men on board who were to accompany
the Taft party on this trip. The wealth
er and sea all the way to Colon, C. Z,
could not have been any better than it
was
We passed between Cuba and Haiti
on the way down. Arrived at Colon
anchored M January q.
In a very short time after we anchored
a tug was alongside which took the
Taft party and their baggage ashore
At D m the same day We got under
way for Chiriqui Lagoon, r. P, which
is about so miles up the coast to the
westward. for the purpose Of coaHng
ship from the collier Brutus.
A Natural shower Bath
We arrived there Saturday afternoon
and were to commence coaIing on Mon
day II was then raining very hard and
did not look as though It intended TO
stop very soon Monday morning it
was pouring down again but the collier
came alongside and after trying for
about an hour had to give it up on ac-
count Of the deEuge- 1t was almost i'm
possible to handle the gear
Tuesday morning the collier came
alongside again and another trial was
made. Although it was raining heavily
most Of the time we kept at 1t as 1t had
to be done and worked until $40 p m,
next day starting again at Z a. m,
finishing about Has a M, taking on a
total OF 1873 tons
After dinner it was still coming
down in a torrent when about 1-3o l
went up on the upper deck, where there
were also q few others. and took real
natural shower bath in the rain piece
OF soap being the other thing needed OF
course
First Class Conduct Men
We arrived back at Colon about II a.
m Feb. 3 As the sea, was quite rough
with heavy sweIIs in the bay it was a
difficult matter to go from the snip 10
shore in small boats, so that no liberty
was given to the men until the next
dav. I was afraid I would not have d
chance to go and I wanted to very
much However. a list OF the special
first class conduct men was made up
and they were sent ashore in party
81 about 125 at $50 a. m Feb 9Th IN
cur launches and landed at the dock
about 9 a. m
One hundred and twenty-five or fifty
out of 600 men on one ship viii give you
a little idea of what portion are good
enough even TO be allowed liberty on a
speciaI occasion such as this was
Sends Cards: Thence Y NJ G. A
Upon landing I struck out alone
through the streets of Colon 1 nrst
found the postoffice and mailed few
cards and some letters for a re4loW Who