Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-14


son. Pharma cist's mate, L. S. navy,
to his mother Mrs. Leila III. Hutch
inson. 234 State street. Augusta:
L. 5. 5. QuinncbaiS,
Inverness, Scotland,
Nov. "a, 1918.
Dear Mother:
AS the censorship has been lifted
I will now endeavor to give you some
insight as to our movements, and the
character of our work from the time
We left the States to the present.
We left Newport, r. l., on the elev-
enth Of last May. our ship with five
others. the San Francisco of Spanish
war fame. as flagship, the Canononi-
Gus, the Canandugua, the Housatonic
and the Roanoke, all mine layers, and
the Somona, seagoing tug. We
sailed southwark until we came to
the gulf stream where the weather
was all that one could desire. The
men were all on top sides lying
around summing themselves. 1t was
down here that we met the Collier
Jason. She was bound for Scapa
Flow where the American North Sea
feet lay. She made the whole trip
with us.
The weather was fine all the time
we we're in the gulf stream. but utter
leaving it there was decided change
for the worse. We changed our
course north and came within so
miles of Iceland and believe me, it
was some cold There was rain, hail
and sleet all in one. The sea was
very choppy, some change from the
gulf stream. I forgot to mention that
we broke down once coming across.
for a whole day the tug Somona
towed US until the engines were le-
paired.
AS we neared the war zone an eX-
ira sharp lookout was kept for SUD
marines The Frisco sighted o:.c
when we We're about two days out.
She made a smoke screen and fired
couple of shots. The submarine,
which was good ways off submerged
and we were not bothered for the
rest of the trip.
We picked up our convoy one day
out from our destination. They APP
peared first as small dots on the hor-
lion. which rapidly increased in size
until they became full grown de-
stroyers, seven in number. They
were British. or Limeys as we call
them. They came into formation.
making a barrier between them and
a probable submarine.
We first sighted land on the morn
ing of the 25th and happier bunch
you never saw After fourteen days
without seeing land you can imagine
we felt pretty gay.
1t was carly in the morning Of the
goth when we dropped the hook in
Invergordon, Scotland. and our first
view of Scotland was with glorious
sunrise. We looked out Oh the most
perfect scenery ever Witnessed. AL
though l don't care Cor Scotland. l
will say they have somc beautiful
scenery Invergordon IS 4 natural
harbor with high bluffs On either side
of the entrance. Thes. bluffs are
fortified. In the harbor IS 4 wreck
of a British cruiser, but l don't re-
member the name Of It. She was
sunk at the beginning Of the war.
The night that it happened they were
having a big banquet aboard. The
high admiral was these and many Ia
dies and children. Directly after tie
admiral left an explosion occurred
and she sank in yer, few minutes
with all on board. 1. was the work
of some German spy. \ diver was
sent down shortly after and the hor-
rors he witnessed in the hIlIl drove
him insane.
Invergordon proved to be cur home
for nearly two months. There were
all kinds of rumors about The old
Quinnebaug not being MT for service
and her mine doors being too high
out of the water. But when our sis
ter ship, the Saranac win .vo other
mine layers, the Aroostook and
Shawm came across and joined the
fleet, they decided to give us tryout.
Our first trip was made on July
18th. In company with nine other
mine layers, those before mentioned
and the old Baltimore, also an old
Spanish war ship. we were conveyed
by twelve destroyers.
Nov so.
My station was aft on the 5inch
gun platform while the mines were
being laid which takes about three
hours. Our ship carries 600 mines,
each containing about 800 pounds of
T. y. T., the highest explosive known.
Our ship alone carries three times as
much explosives as did the ship at
Halifax. SO you can imagine what
would happen if we had been hit.
They claim if one ship went up the
whole fleet would go.
We closed in tho whole North Sea
from Norway to Scotland so we had
the submarines completely hcmmed
in, except those already out and they
couldn't get back. The last trip we
made we could see the coast of Nor
way. The Quinnebaug alone has laid
about 6i0o mines. Twice during our
trips we were attacked by submar-
ines. The destroyers and mine lay
ers made a great smoke screen. and
the destroyers dropped several depth
charges. 1t was some spectacle.
Nights we had to darken ship. no
lights We're visible from without, and
the ships had to feel their way. One
night we had a dense fog. You could
cut it with n knife. as the saying
goes. All night long the whistles
were blowing and the destroyers
closed in about us and kept lights on
their inboard side. A mining officer
slept in the sick bay that night and
he got up and put his clothes on.