The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-03-17

of rest and long visit in the States
is over, they expect to re-enlist.
Scherf expects to leave the Cape Tues
day for Pensacola, Fla, where he owns
some land. After about so days there
he will return to the Cape for another
30 days stay and then expects to go
to st. Louis to return to the naval
service
This afternoon st. Johns branch No
SO of the Western Catholic Union of
st. Mary's Church, of which Scherf
was charter member, will give ban
quet in his honor at the Haas hall in
Haarig.
Scherf, during the period of his en-
listment, worked up from common
seaman to the position of steward, in
charge of the entire commissary of a
battleship. Myers, as first petty Off
GER, was the first cook of a battleship.
Scherf resigned his position at the
brewery on April 25, 1907, and went
to st. Louis, where he enlisted in the
naval service on August 8, 1907. He
Immediately was shipped to Norfolk,
Va, for a four-nfonths' training and
on December 9 was transferred to the
U. S. S. Alabama, lying in Hampton
Roads. This ship was at that time
the flagship of Admiral Sperry, of the
Fourth Division of the Atlantic Fleet.
Admiral Bob Evans at that time was
commander in chief of the Atlantic
fleet.
Six days later, on December is, the
Alabama was in the fleet that started
81 the voyage around the world. Stops
were made at Trinidad, in the British
West Indies, and next at Rio de JAMIE
TO, Brazilian capital, where some of
the Yankee tars got into fight with
some natives when on shore liberty.
One of the Yankees was cut and a
patrol chased tho sailors back aboard
ship before further fighting was done.
Myers was ashore the night that the
fight took place.
The fleet also stopped at Punta Are
anus, Chill, the southernmost port in
the world. Scherf was with the fleet
as it made its way up the western
coast of South and North America,
stopping at Cal!ao, Chill; Lima, Peru;
Magdalena Bay and thence to San
Francisco.
At that point the Alabama was de-
tached from the feet and sent by way
of the Suez Caral. The ship was
locked at New York and Scherf was
transferred to the U. S. S. Hancock,
a receiving ship, and the remainder of
the enlistment was spent on the At
lantic Coast, working from Newport
News to Pensacola, where he was dis
charged at the end of his enlistment.
He re-enlisted November 81, 1911,
at New Orleans and Immediately was
sent to Norfolk and then to the Orient.
He boarded the U. S. S. Buffalo. an
auxiliary cruiser or transport, at San
Francisco, and dropped anchor at
Shanghai, China, January II, 1912.
From the time Of his second enlistment
to that moment, Scherf had travelled
5000 miles by water, the ship route
from San Francisco to China, and had
passed over 90 states in the Union.
After his arrival in Chinese waters,
he was transferred January 81, 1912,
to the U. S. S. Saratoga and thence to
the Helena, 4 small gun-boat. He
spent two and a half years on the
Yangtze Kiang river.
Myers said that in his experiences
on another gun-boat on the same river
five men went overheard in the river
and were drowned, only one of their
bodies ever having been found The
river has strong under-cUrrent that |
strong swimmers are unable to cope |
with.
At the expiration of his enlistment |
there was no relief, so Scherf was ask
ed to serve overtime. He served more !
than three months overtime and his |
served more than four.
Finally, however, the Saratoga was
ordered home, but before going it went |
10 the Japanese Coronation. Myers
was aboard the vessel and attended |
he coronation ceremonies this winter
and Scherf met the vessel at Manila,
Philippine Islands.
On January /, 1916, the executive
'fficer of the Saratoga gave the order
@ lift anchor for home and the ship
sailed out of Manila Bay with 40
DOT stern banner floating the news
hat she was homeward bound.
After touching at Guam and the
hawaiian Islands, they arrived in port
It Bremerton, Wash, and after an
ther wait of 80 days Scherf and
lis companion were discharged with