Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-03-22
Gerresponnsnrs.


1 ASeSSADD@AAWe
U. 9. 8. SOUTH CARoLIHA,
NORFOLK, VA, March u, 1911.
| 70 tAe Editor Of TAe Amerscan:
Being an Ellsworth boy and receiving
THE AMERICAN regularly since I left
there, thought you might like to hear Of
my experiences in the navy since left
nearly three years ago.
was born in Ellsworth on December 80,
1880, and have spent nearly all my sum-
mers there ever since. 1t was during my
vacation there in the summer Of 1903 that
got the idea that would like to zee the
world, 90 took the advantage the navy
offers, went to Boston and enlisted or Dec.
IA, 1908. 1 vas sent to Newport, r. l., for
my training, and during my stay there
learned much OF the life of man. o. wars
man, and enjoyed it.
| left there on March Is, 1909, and was
attached to the U. 8. s. Ohio. first -class
battleship, then at New York. My first
experience was at battle practice with the
Atlantic feet. This consists OF the whole
sixteen ships running in battle formation
with the targets some FIVE or seven miles
away. ALI the ships fire at once, broad
side. The target is only 18x21 feet square
and is moving at about five knots an
hour while we move at sixteen knots an
hour. What we would do to the enemy
under similar conditions is q shame to
mention.
| Our summer cruise was up to dear old
Maine. We went to Boothbay Harbor to
spend the Fourth of July. Most OF the
fellows thought they were in for 'bum
time' with the farmers, as they called
them, but after q week OF it in Bath and
other places they were sorry to leave.
They said Maine girls were all right, but
l knew that before.
| After leaving Maine we went TO Norfolk,
| Va, then to New York, where we went
| out Of commission in December, 1909.
| Twas then sent to the U. s. 8. South
Carolina in Philadelphia-a new Il, 500-ton
battleship not then in commission. She
has eight tweive-inch guns, twenty three
three-inch guns, and two submerged tor
pedo tubes. We put her in commission
on March /, 1910, and left March 8 for our
''shakedown', or maiden cruise. We ar
rived at Culebra, U. s. West Indies. 1t
| was very hot down there. All we did was
to 20 on the beach and swim and chase
lizards all day. We had plenty of fruit
and little sport shark fishing and mon
key hunting. We went from there to st.
Croix, Danish West Indies-a very pretty
little island, well populated. The people
were very nice, and we had good time.
From there we went to st. Thomas, Dam
ish West Indies, much the same as st.
Croix, but larger. Bay-rum was only
twenty-five cents quart, and we all laid
in supply. Our next stopwas at Havana,
Cuba, where We anchored alongside Of the
old Maine. We laid there q week.
Havana is a beautiful city, surrounded
by hills. 1t has many interesting places
to visit, among them the old MORO castle,
used by the Spaniards as a prison during
the Spanish war. While there some OF us
helped an American firm make moving
picture called "a Central American ROM
ance", which you may have seen in Han
cock hall. -.
We left there April 9 and arrived in
Hampton Roads, Va, April Is. From
there We went to Charleston, 8. c.,
where we received our silver service from
the state for which the ship is named.
We all had fine time there, and were
sorry to leave. Our next trip was for tar
get practice, where we broke the worlds
record, making sixteen shots and sixteen
hits in four minutes and eight seconds,
giving us the trophy offered by the navy
department, which we still hold.
Our next cruise OF any account was to
Europe. We left here Nov. 1, 1910, and ar
Irsv 7
left the ship there and made visit to
Paris, staying there q week, in which
time visited the interesting places Of the
capital OF France, climbing to the
top of the Eiffel tower, 1000 feet high,
from which l could see all OF Paris.
visited the tomb of Napoleon, and saw his
swords and uniform.
Paris is the most beautiful city in the
world, besides being called the wickedest.
| My main trouble there was talking French
and trying to spend American gold. 1t
wasn't very hard to do the latter, for the
French sure understand our gold il not
our French.
After returning to the ship on Thanks
giving day, we left for Weymouth, Eng.
We laid there one month, in which time
went to London. 1t was very different
here, for we could all understand each
other. The English people were very at
tentive to us, giving dances, parties and
entertainment every night, at which we
all enjoyed ourselves. While in London
visited many places Of interest, among
them Westminster Abbey, where all the
dead kings and queens are buried. The
1 tsTOWar Innd0nb ia her I'M ora f..
ing place. The man and horse-srmor of
the famous King Henry VIII. the execu-
ton block and axe with which a queen |
was beheaded, also the gun carriage |
which conveyed the body Of the late
| Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, and
| many other very interesting things, " ere |