The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-04-04
Letter From William Hawkes..

Con the government freighter Pen
secola, north of the Azores, moving
toward Gibraltar.) We left New York
January g. First 200 miles out we
had mine sweepers alongside, and they
will be put out again when we get into
the Mediterranean, as that is a nest
of mines.
Last Thursday we ran into a stiff
storm and in the early morning we
were going round and round in order
to work out of it, and keep with the
| wind. The sea was very heavy and
before our hatch was battered down
we shipped lot of water. I was in
the carpenter shop when the ship
filter, Georgia Cracker" the carpen-
ter and the electrician bunk when we
heard a snap and rafting and dis
cussed what it could be, and in few
minutes we heard voices which called
saying the steering chain had broken.
We all stumbled up stairs and the
men proceeded to repair the damage,
and took out the old chain and put in
an entire new one. Meanwhile the
boat was guided by hand from the
after we'll deck, eight men turning the
big wheel there. The rudder is ordi-
narily run by an engine which is con-
trolled from the bridge. The cause
of the trouble was a link which had
never been properly welded; and here
again we have the illustration of the
weak link in the chain.
Each day three of us are on what
the army calls K. P. (kitchen police
and the navy calls "mess cooks" II
81 he al "A
the waves breaking over the way for
ward from the galley; there are two
of US each day whosassist as barracks
orderly" cleaning up around the
hunks Remember these are almost
all college graduates.) Some of II:
have had good drenchings; the Other
day I thought I had dandy place Il
sit and read on the two foot decl
} which runs in front IT the officers
cabins and heard rrsn on my RICH
hand; hasty glance showed ME
J wall of water coming clear over tn,
) cabins and rushing through the mar
row space between the cargo ant
: lower quarters. Believe me. | tnrnst
, my back to it; l rose to one foot ant
, one knee and instantly put the book il
: front of me, and then | got it from
; head to foot and to the skin, Yester
day one of the fellows had SOM
: canned stuff and fruit he was carrying
I up the ladder to the boat deck to SOM
of the boys stretched out there. whel
5 an immense wave came over him
Y about drowning him. and when it wa
5 gone he had nothing in his hands o
| his pockets. and was drenched eve,
! through his overcoat.
The second day out those of us VIII
needed it got our typhoid inoculatiN
: and as had mine as far back as las
: May I had to take it over again, an
. we have coming NEGOTIATIONS fo
cholera and dissentery OF course 20
can imagine how nicely these go wit
, seasickness! Say-now and then
big lurch comes and away go dishe'
: water pals. chairs. etc, sometime
$ mixing. slopping breaking (dishe
|, ribs and shins,)
= Last night we had movies in th
: Quarters of the Engineers II is thei
lounging and dining room The movi
was leap to Fame" which 7 ran .
Y No. at Camp Fremont w
really had nice moon last night an
: of course 7 said "Hello moon" for a
e who were looking at it, Each morn
+ ing at $50 our clocks are set ahea
e 20 minutes, so we are about four hour
d different from New York,