Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-12-21
SAILORS GO MAD FROM
LONL|NESS ON FLEET
Tar Writes Of LOnesOmeness
On Vessels Employed In
Blockade

New York, Dec. 21.-The peril, hard
ship, cold and lonliness that has driven
mad some of the tars who man the
British blockade fleet outside the g.
mile limit off our Atlantic coast, has
been written of by an Englishman rid.
ing "The Tides of Barnegat," aboard
the Sydney, to an old mate in this city.
Light also is thrown by the letter
upon the recent chase through a mid.
night fog, of the freighter Zelandria by
a mysterious armored cruiser--the sgd
ney. This is the same Sydney which
ran the notorious German raider En-.
den ashore on an Indian ocean island
and shot her to bits. The Sydney re,
Gently has been transferred to the
Atlantic blockade fleet The letter says
in part:
"Dear Jerry; 1t looks as though we
were to spend another Xmas on the
briny deep. 1t has been terribly cold
out here and we have had a hard time
Of it. The other night we ran short of
coal and had to shoot down to Bermuda.
"Jerry, of all the PAGES God ever
made, Barneygat, or whatever they call
it, is the worst. If it ain u blowing it s
showing or raining, and there is con-
tinual swell running that keeps your
insides snug against your main com
panionway for days at stretch.
"There S nothing to do but hang on
and off, watching for some louise Of a
freighter that's expected up from
somewhere in South America. The
only excitement we've had was the
funeral Of poor old Rob Siddons. You
remember we three were together in
Chatham last year, after / had been in
valided home from the sub, patrol on
the Doggerl Rob has been ailing for
months, but he wouldn't quit, To tell
you the truth, he was too bloody old
to stand the strain, SO we dropped him
over night before last.
awe sank a shot with him. and his
hammock, and God knows we could
spare it because we don t ever expect
to need any off here. Give me the
life in the North sea chasing Perrys
(submarine periseopes). You could
get bit of thrill doing that, and il
was worth while getting hit. Out here
you might as well be on a training ship
The men are mostly sickly aud you
can't exactly call them happy They
have nothing to think Of except the
arrival of the cutter with papers anC
letters. Lord save us from another jot
like this.
"I heard some Of the boys in The
Caronia (former Cunard liner, nov
converted cruiser) went crazy and
don't blame them a bit. A lot Of u
will be going the same way before long
owe are looking for the cutter to
day and expect to get supply Of fresl
greens. But she'll smash herself t
pieces against our side | suppose an,
lose everything. That's what hap
pened last time. The bloody pilot mus
have been n tram conductor in Putney
eve lost q man over the side VIII,
was reaching for sack of lettuce o
something; no chance to save him. II,
was young fellow, too, and had /
mother living in Fulham Palace Road
lIammersmith.
81 wonder IL you heard about am
ship being run down about three day
ago not far from the Sandy Hook, w,
had narrow squeak, although w
laughed afterword, about it.
at has been very hazy lately ant
the otebr night IL was exceptionally
thick. We spotted an old cargo boa
that looked suspicious and bore afte
her. In the fog the old man must boy,
misiudgcd her speed or ours, bccaus'
we ran 10 close across her stern side
and our guns swept right over hel
poop.
'fWell, the gang on the ship will b'
taking nerve tonic for a month guess
We heard aftcrward that she was thu
same bloody ship we anchored along
side in Progresso, the zeelander, o.
some name like that.
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