Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-13
(. G. WEEKS WRITES
INTERESTING LETTER
u. S. Submarine Base,
New London, Conn.,.
FEBRUARY g.. 1913.

a Cyl Vel o. iclO.
Dear Mother:
Your letter should have been an
swered before, but believe me we sure
have been busy the past two weeks
getting submarine instruction. There
is a whole lot more to one of
the things than you would imagine.
All the coming week / will be on the
Gill and we will be making practice
dives and learning to operate the diff
ferent machinery. 1t is the most in
teresting business / have struck yet
Expect to be around the base at
least six weeks more, and then |
don't know where will be sent. Some
of the~boys will be detailed to the
boats on this coast, some to the west
coast, and some will go to the "subs"
already on the other side or about to
go over. Most likely will get on
one of the newest boats.
was down to New London yes
terday and the photographer didn't
have my pictures finished yet. l
don't expect they will be very good
because the proofs were bad, but
they may look a little like me.
1t has been quite cold here all the
time, but not much snow. Tonight it
is raining to beat the band. | now
have an outside stateroom on the
Fuller" a Boston to Portland side
wheeler, that the government COM
Wandered and tied up here, and am
quite coy and private. My room
mate is boy from Brooklyn who was
in the 10th Co. We have electric
lights, clothing hooks, wash stand, a
large mirror, and good springs and
mattresses in the berths. We keep
our own rooms clean, but that is not
much of job. There were only about
300 men here at the base when l first
came, now there are over 1000 and
they are putting up new barracks and
other buildings all thu time, working
day and night on them. 1t is getting
to be great station.
Am glad to know that you have
plenty of fuel and can keep warm.
That is more than most of the peo-
pie in cities can say. 1t certainly
sounds like old times to hear about
the Grattan roads being drifted full.
1t was just ten years ago that we had
so much fun shoveling them out, you
remember, the time Ed. and Myrtle
came out. / never will forget how
/ Ed. laughed when he saw Grove Sears
using little old round spade on those
drifts.
No, have not heard from Irving
either, but have been looking for a
letter for some time. / get quite
few letters from other people and at
present only owe ten.
Today / washed up my clothes; did
some mending and sewed on few
buttons, besides standing a four-hour
patrol watch inside the boat. As soon
as finish this letter / will turn in,
and / have to get up at 600 in the
morning now, and get breakfast at
$3.50. Monday mornings we general
ly have oranges, oatmeal, boiled eggs,
fried potatoes, bread, butter, and cof-
fee. They always cook the oatmeal
just the way / like it, and there is
plenty Of sugar. You can imagine
the job Of cooking oatmeal and boil
ing eggs for q thousand men,. They
cook everything by steam, in huge
aluminium cookers, holding about 100
gallons each. Tomorrow morning
they will use about 300 gallons of oat-
meal 100 dozen oranges and 200 doz-
en- eggs, and Lord knows how many
potatoes and loaves of bread. Uncle
Sam certainly feeds his sailors.
| Well, mother, am getting drowsy,
so guess I'd better close. Best re-
CARDS to all the folks. Will send the
pictures soon. Your loving son,
+. G.. Weeks.