The Prescott daily news., 1915-12-31

den Tells of His Dislike of Barnesai
 and Describes Hardships That Affect
 the Men-Fresh Vegetables Hard 60
 Get, and Food Is Not Good.
 Life is one damp. cold thing fter an. other for the crews of the British blockading fleet that lies outside our three mile line waiting for the German ships that never come out. According to at least one of the sailors, it is worse than life in the trenches The monot. ony of loafing in the swell of the sea watching for some little freighter from South America that must be held LID and searched is getting on the mems nerves
 Their food is of the old fashioned lime juicer quality except when some daring sea grocer manages 10 bring cargo Of supplies alongside, and even then, with December seas running. it's a gamble whether the fresh vegetables from Barnegat or Norfolk will reach the cook or Davy Jones.
 One of the British cruisers engaged in the peaceful blockade of our north Atlantic ports is the Sydney, which ran the German raider Emden ashore on an island in the Indian ocean and shot her to bits. After that the Sydney roamed the North sea looking for German sub. marines. and last month she was or dered off New York to relieve the cruis CT Iris in keeping tabs on commerce.
 CIew In Zealandia Mystery.
 The letter below written by mem Der of the Sydney's crew. seems to throw light on the Zealandia s adven- ture, but it is more interesting in show ing how the British seaman hates the job of watchful waiting off our nearly neutral shores:
 Tt looks as though We were to spend another Christmas on the briny deep
 Tt has been terribly cold out here and we have had hard time of it.
 The other night we ran short of coal and had to shoot down to Bermuda and after getting there had to wait long time for a collier. We got our bunkers filled next day and had to come back here.
 "Of all the places in the world. Bar. negat, or whatever they call it, is the worst.
 If it ain't blowing it's showing or raining, and there is q continual swell running that keeps your insides snug against your main companionway for days at a stretch.
 There's nothing to do but hang on and off, watching for some bug of freighter that's expected up from some where in South America.
 'The only excitement we've had was the funera. of poor old Rob SiddOns You remember we three were together in Chatham last year. after | had been invalided home from the sub patrol on the Dogger? 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. and there was hardly a dry eye aboard
 We sank shot with him and his hammock, and we could well spare it. because We don't ever expect to need any off here
 Give me the life in the North sen chasing perrys Submarine periscOpes, You could get a bit of thrill doing that, and it was worth while getting hit Out here you might as well be on training ship
 Men Sickly and Unhappy.
 The men are mostly sickly, and you can't exactly call them happy. They have nothing to think of except the ar rival of the cutter with papers and let ters. Lord save Us from another job like this
 "I suppose you heard how we lost man over the side who was reaching for sack of lettuce or something. He shot down between us and the rotten little rug so quick that there was no chance to save him
 "Norfolk may be all right for those interned Germans, but it's q bad place from which to ship us greens in this sort of weather. It was much better when we laid off Sandy Hook We got things regular hen. They say we will either have to go down around Calves ton. stay here or go to Halifax if We want anything like rest. If you get news Of where we are to go, as you probably will, send some note paper so can write my Christmas letters.
 wonder if you heard about any ship being run down about three days ago not far from Sandy Hook. We had narrow squeak, although we laughed afterword ahout if