Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-02-25
JOHN GRAY HAS GRIM EXPERIENCE
in EXPLOSION ON BATTLESHIP
WHILE STATIONED AT YOKOHAMA JAPAN ON WARSHP BROOK
LYN WHEN ONE MAN IS KILLED AND THIRTY-FOUR SERIOUSLY
INJURED In ACCIDENT THREE OF THESE DYING LATER

see il go without me for l wanted to
go on the trip pretty bad l didn't
tell you my new position did /?
was in what is called flag service:
was fleet surgeons writer. The
doctor aboard recommended me for it
because l can do tipping, etc. 1t was
a soft job and had a desk in the flag
office. DR.. Gill, the fleet surgeon
said l would get it again as soon as
can be relieved here. I'm figuring on
coming home though instead of going
back on the Brooklyn. There are on
ly four corpsmen on the Brooklyn now:
even the pharmacists mates in the Of
fees are detailed here.
| went up to Tokyo the Saturday be-
fore the explosion and had a great
time. l got lost every time turned
aroupnd. All signs are in Japan
csc and only once in awhile would
find anyone who could talk English
l was with three other sailors and we
came close to walking the streets all
night. We couldn't find hotel and
the riksha men didn't savvy. l slept
in chair in hotel lobby. We could
mt get a room.
l hope you didn't send me much for
Xmas as goodness only knows when
will get il and I'm not thinking much
of Xmas this year-Ill celebrate when
get home. We may have a Christ
mas tree here in the hospital but they
don't make much of Christmas in Jap
an.
Xmas Day, 1918.
l have been thinking of you folks
lot today and l almost know what
you are doing about every minute
We are nine hours ahead of you so my
Xmas is over and l am on duty again
l haven't had a very bad Xmas con-
sidering all: still, it was nothing eX
citing: we had a tree and services and
the Union church choir came over and
old Mr.. Austin Il told you about him in
one of my letters) The Red Cross
and American Association gave us
the incest boxes ever They were
round baskets, tied up in an American
flag and holly and every sailor here
got one. There was a pair of gloves
two handkerchiefs, a nice writing out
fit, big box of candy, box of nuts
some cigars and cigarettes. We had
a good dinner, seven course, turkey and
all the trimmings. / went to church
this morning and slept all afternoon
Dec 10, 1918
Dear Bill:
l guess that it has been a good long
time since | wrote to you or Claire
and l have a little time now. | have
to keep awake while l am on night
duty and so l will try to tell you about
this place.
The hospital is up on the Bluff or on
a hill overlooking Yokohama and the
harbor 1t is a big old place, lot
like an old hotel and the average num-
Der of patients in normal times is two
so it is pretty we'll rundown. Since
we have brought all the work to them
from the explosion it has kind of wax
ened up. The fixtures are old-fash-
toned and Japanese style, so they are
funny to me. There are five large
buildings and immense grounds.
There is a fine tennis court and they
have large flagpole and the flag can
be seen from all over. Most of the
work is done by Japanese. There is
one old fellow, Gango, who has been
on the jog for 81 years: there is an
other old Jap named Tae, that runs
the galley and we have good chow
They grow oranges here: they are lit
tie but mighty sweet and bananas and
other fruits are cheaper than in the
PHILIPPINES. Most any time at night
or day you can hear fish peddlers 60
ing around with their carts: they have
a funny kind of a whistle. Every
kind of a peddler makes a different
kind of notes.-the milkmen sing and
the newsboys jangle bells. Japanese
boys hardly ever wear a haiti is
either a cap like porter's or none at
all. Then they have kimona on over
their other clothes they wear wooden
sandals on blocks of wood and have
no stockings: they make quite rack
ct when they go around. Most all OF
them work: you hardly ever see any
playing around. When you go on the
streets where they live you see lots
of little girls and babies-the girls
take care of the babies: they usually
have bright colored kimonas and theii
hair is straight ald bushy just like the
Jap dolls you see: they like to play
games like hop-scotch and do Juggling
stunts: they can run like the dickens
with the wooden shoes and you'd thinl
they'd break their necks.
| The ricksha men are certainly skin
!, ners. You almost have to ride in {
/; ricksha to find any place you are look
ing for and II you take rlcksna the,
: will go the longest roundabout wa.
t or go past it a couple of times, thel
! you have to pay them for going so ia
and they will fight too if they don
get paid.
f In Yokohama English is pretty wei
5 understood and most of the signs ar
in English but in Tokyo it is all Jap
5 anese. You can ride for hours in
e street car in Tokyo and never get on
. of the city limits: it is a mighty bi
: city. I saw thousands of people o.
S Theatre street Sunday night: they hav
all kinds of shows and movies. l al
E going up to Toky after pay day
4 there is a lot to be seen there.
Y liked it fine on the Brooklyn it was
lot stricter than any hospital I've bee
c in ashore but it was pretty nice an
S time went fast. I went up in tn
I lookout, away up on the mast, on
night when we were under way and