Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-26

State street, Augusta:
Dec. 2, 1913.
Yesterday at 1906 P. M. word was
home" and | do not believe you ever
saw or will see, happier crowd in
your life.
Our homeward bound pennant,
which is $50 feet long, was hoisted to
the main mast head. All the English
ship had quarters and gave us three
cheers and had their band play some
American pieces as we sailed by.
l am still hoarse from cheering 1t
is now 6 A. NJ. and we are steaminS
through Pcntland Firth UP to Scapo
Flow, which has been our naval base
most of the time.
Nothing here but barren islands
and the German fleet. which we are
going to review this morning. From
here we so through the Irish Sea way
down to Portland, England, near
Portsmouth, where we expect to meet
Pres. Wilson and escort him and his
crowd to Brest. France We wait for
him to get through with the Peace
Conference and then. if he so desires
we escort him to Naples. Italy, and
from there to New York L. $. A.
When the statue Of Liberty looms
in sight, | know | will feel SO good
that I am going to try and hang my
hat on her torch. AT present the old
ship is doing some tall rolling and
pitching, as this Pentland Firth is a
rough body of water.
Last Wednesday and Friday I was
in l.dinburg, looking about for few
hours. l cannot see why people leave
the States to tour over this part Of
the country
The Nevada. with Admiral Sims
aboard, joined us last Monday. so
now we have quite n squadron. Ne
vada, New York, Texas, Wyoming,
Arkansas. Florida. This ship is the
smallest one in the bunch but let me
tell you that she can do. and has
done what no other Dreadnaught or
Super Dreadnaught can or has &C
complished. We can make % knots
an hour, and we hold the worlds rec
ord for long distance firing. We have
in the crow, sailor Fred Burroughs.
q light weight boxer. who defeated
every American over here. then
whipped s English boxes in three
days, and won the Grand Sea Fleet
Cup. We have the best reputation of
any ship for behavior Of crew while
on leave.
1t is soon going to lie daylight and
I wish YOU were here to see tho mass
Of German ships. ! will bring home
some pictures Of The English and
German Fleets.
Breakfast is over and have just re-
turned from the top side, where | saw
the ships. 1t seems funny to be out
at sea with our ships lighted and the
band playing. as we have been used
10 a dark ship. We used to stand
watch on the turret hours on and 4
hours off. day and night as long as
VIC remained at sea, and tell you it
sure was Hell" At present, it
seems like q dream or heaven. I do
not know which. as have never been
to the latter. We have no torpedoes
to dodge and no U boats to sink, SO
the only excitement will be if we run
know just how many torpedoeS have
been shot at us, and how many L
boats we have sunk. The first trip
we made after arriving over here last
year, we We're attacked by a feet of
submarines. and we did some tall ma
neuvcring to keep from getting hit.
The five inch guns have been fired
quite a lot at the u boats, but the
worst damage has been done by depth
bombs. l have seen destroyers drop
them and then get their own stern
blowed off. Did not have the time
for working right and the girl or
lash can" went off too quick.
Well, / must turn to and sling a
little oil here and there, and keep the
gear in good working order. as we
might want to use these twelve inch
guns some day.
Dec. d.
Still blowing along at 16 to IS
knots. 1t is a. NJ. and have been
on watch since IL, but the fellow who
has the to s, is some kind Of seasick
so I guess it is up to me to stick it
through until A. NJ. It was sure
rough last night, and at present. it is
far from being calm. There was
lot of seasickness going about, but
your old sea pa don't believe in it.
We have passed through the Irish
Sea and almost through ST. George
channel, so expect we will hit Port
land about noon. l bet you people
say to yourselves, that | sure am see
ing some sights. Well, l am, but
kindly bear in mind that for every
sight l see, ] must throw about one
ton of coal aboard the old ship. We
will no doubt be coaling ship until
midnight, so if you wake up about
11.45 why just groan once for yours
truly. If you look on the map you
will see place called Orkney Islands,
famous for ancient history only In
the center Of said islands is a body Of
water, called Scapo Flow. Now we
spent four straight months up there,
going to sea every week for 4S5 days.
We would not mind the convoy duty
and German Fleet. if after roaming
about the North Sea we would return
to civilization to coal ships, and get
q foot on land. But nothing doing,
Scapa Flow is horror to every U.
S. and English COB. Such fine seen
cry to gaze upon, few islands with
out 4 tree or house in sight.
Last 4th Of July we were there,
and the Admiral let us steam about
20 miles to another bay, then he
showed us eff on a hour leave in