Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-11-30


Marine corps on the e. s. $. Charles
ton. has written an interesting story
laf s0sse Of his. experiences on board
satn. lie finds the ships vocabulary
| il it's application Of names to every
thing quite to his liking and express
i've.
The letter is to Phil Reed. Tommy
says
"Say Phil ] am Oh some water wag-
on. ave have q 26-peice band. a couple
Of electric pianos, a moving picture
Imacline. besides a dog and a monkey
The dog is one of those black and
white spotted fire nounds-you know
| the kind that used to follow the fire
horses when you were Kid. The
.gobs'' (sailors) shanghaied him from
the fire department at Baltimore. The
monkey "Jocko'' is from Colon, Pam
ANA his mate committed suicide by
iunping overheard about three
months ago.
Charleston is Great Ship
'.The Charleston is first class
cruiser about $50 feet long and can
make n knots. We have an e. on
nearly every gun turret denoting eX-
cellent craftsmanship Now believe
me before those squareheads ever
vaccinate us with tinfish, they will
know they have met up with sea-go-
ing outfit.
ssThe marines have to man two SIX
inch batteries and twoathree-inch an
ti-airciaft guns, standing all the look
ont watches while at sea. At sea, not
a single light is lit SO we generally hit
the alfalfa about 4 80, one bell. We
| also act as an armed guard when a
snip is stopped to determine her neu-
trality. We signalled a schooner one
| day TO show her ccolors. She did not
heed our blinkers so we sent a shot
across her bow. A Danish flag was
| Immediately runNup. Our skipper was
| in doubt as several tunnels could be
seen: so we lowered our steam launch
with the marine guard and two Off
GERS to take a look at her log book.
she was Danish ship all right but
she had fake tunnels to make subs
think she might be a cruiser.
See Many British Ships
I'VE pass 'Lfmies" (British) war
ships very often Friday we passed
one OF the biggest cruisers in their
navy. She carries a crew of over 1000
men. Ten inch guns stick out like
quills on a porcupine. I will not men
ton the name When we pass any Of
the ships of our allies the "Juicers''
kfaH out on the quarter deck while our
band plays their national air. The al
! lied ship plays the Star Spangled
Banner afterward and salutes us. IN
i peace times we would salute with guns
but in war time it is not done.
I'VE all have stations to get to when
fire. abandon ship, or clear the decks
for action command is given. We all
! sleep in hammocks, so at night the
decks are not disturbed. The gun
crews and powder monkeys sleep just
over their guns and ammunition.
These LIME" gobs are awful rum
hounds. You know they get ration
of rum every morning which just
aggrayates them / guess, as they get
lit up like a public house (coclSney for
saloonl when they are ashore A
LIME seaman cd class only rates
about 50 a month but they get by.
Complement of the Ship
THE complement of our ship is $50
gobs and Ga marines, besides the Off
GERS. We are the flagship Of the At
lantic cruiser fleet succeeding the
Seattle / saw the Minneapolis about
two months ago. She's bird. All the
cruisers are named after cities.
We'll don't think I've been carrying
around canned milk out to the light
house keepers along the coast, for ]
have been seeing active duty for the
past three months. Give my regards
to the police force.
"Out of Hampton Roads we struck
a 90-lnile gale. Our compartment is on
| the gun deck just above the water
line. We were shaken up and down,
and back am forth like dice in a box.
/ All the ports we're closed making the
i air very bad. The deck would come up
and look you in the face and then go
back Some of the men were terribly
sick but they say it is inevitable.
Sailors have sailed for years and then
strike a sea that makes them sick.
Theron Clark on New Jersey
Il received a letter from Theron
! Clark. He is on the q. S. S. New Jer-
sey. He says they were ont at sea for
over six weeks without sighting land.
We fare pretty well except rations are
not so good when Oh long cruise
Then canned Bill (corned beef and
submarine turkey (salmoa) are our
stand-bgs.'
! GEO. sAyCRD STARTS TO CAMP