Manila, Philippines

"Cholera and Target Practice"

USS Virginia At Sea

Lat. 8 deg 23’ S. Long. 115 deg 56’ E

Saturday 26^th, 1908

Dear Papa,

We are not in the Java Sea and the temperature is extremely high so warm in fact that we are allowed to go around the decks in our paths and undershirts.

The fleet had a close call from running up on the rocks this morning.  The admiral was heading for the straits of Lombok, but when dawn broke he was fifteen miles to the Eastward and quite close to the shore, of course you could not hear the breakers roar or anything of that sort.  Still it is considered a great blunder in navigation to go fifteen miles from the entrance of a strait.  Tonight we will enter the straits of Macassar and the charts caution the mariner to proceed very cautiously as it is a very dangerous route. 

 The fourth division was compelled to slow down to nine knots last Wednesday and we left them far behind.  Suppose they are short of coal.  Don’t think Seaton Schroeder will make a mistake of fifteen miles when he hits the Straits.

We are having general quarters drill everyday and getting ready for battle practice.  We have as yet received no pay as we are going to get paid as soon as we get to Manila, and it will be in Paso to of which equal an American dollar.  The next pay day will be in Japan in English or American gold, and the next one in Manila in pasos.

Next September I will not be sailing the Java Sea, but hope to be sitting around spinning yarns of the time we missed the opening of the straits.  Will stop for today.

 Manila, PI

October 4, 1908

Dear Papa,

Here we are in Manila Bay, but as you have no doubt seen in the papers we are not allowed to go ashore on account of the cholera, which they say is quite severe in some of the districts.  Received all of your letters up until September 1^st which I think is pretty good mail service.  Received mother’s letter also, and tell her that I received the Repositories regularly, and ready every one of them.  Also received Mrs. Coyles letter, and a postal card from Bill Culbertson, and one from the crowd that was out camping.

Our cruise through the Java, Celebres, Sulu and China Seas was a very smooth and pleasant one same for the extremely warm weather.

 On September 30^th, we passed Zamboanga on the Island of Mindanao where I think John Brewer is stationed.  There were three or four steamers out to see us go by and they were all loaded with army officers and soldiers so I was not able to make him out but suppose he was one of the crowd that looked upon from the deck of the Virginia.

The natives who inhabit the island of Mindanao are called Moros and they were out in their canoes beating their tom-toms and other musical instruments used by them.  The town is a small one and from its size I judge it to contain about five or six hundred people counting the soldiers.  Near the town we saw several native villages built as you saw them at the different expositions that you have visited.

From Zamboanga it is five hundred and ninety miles and took us two days to  make the tirp, we arriving here on the second of October a day behind time doe to the lack of colliers at Albany.  All the way up from Zamboanga we passed close to Uncle Sams possessions and to tell you the truth they do not look like they are worth the money and loves that they cost us.  Of course in the interior they are perhaps more fertile and productive.  The coast line of most all countries is a poor place to judge the land.

Coaled ship from the U.S. collier Caesar and took aboard 1400 tons to take us to Japan.  See by the papers that they are going to give us silver medals of the occasion.

Every day large numbers of people come out to the ships in boats but they are not allowed to come aboard.  Everybody dresses in which is the coolest thing they can wear.  Mail leaves tomorrow for the States.

Love to Mother.

Affectionately,  Frank

Manila P.I.

November 11, 1908

Dear Papa,

We arrived at Olongopo which is 60 miles North of Manila at 11:30 am on Saturday the 3^rd of November.  It is a beautiful harbor being only about 6 miles wide at its widest point.  It is here that the dry dock Dewey is located.  I got a sight of it from a distance of about 2 miles.

We fired four shots from each of the6”, 8” and 12” guns to see if the sights were properly adjusted.  We left there Sunday night and arrived in Manila Bay Monday morning.  We are now hard at it with preparations for target practice which comes off on the ship on the 18^th just.

Have not heard from you for several weeks but am looking for a letter on the mail which arrives on the 16^th  just by way of Japan.

We ordered a pennant 500 feet long to be made in China.  This is called a homeward bound pennant and is flown at the main mast as we pass a ship or enter or leave port on our way home.

Our last week here will be devoted to liberty for the men in order to allow time to get ashore.  The quarantine is raised and I think we will be able to see Manila.

Tommy Burus” our bear mascot died from cramps on our way down from Amoy and was buried at sea, being weighed down by grate bars.  I think he was poisoned as be howled around the quarters, where they kept him all night.

The moonlight nights are very beautiful here at this time of the year.  One sees many falling comets around this latitude at this time of the year.  They have noticeably long tails. The longest I have ever seen.

Tell mother I have two beautiful Chinese brass bases about 8 inches in height and 6 inches wide in which she can put two pots of ferns or other flowers.  The outside of each one is hand carved in beautiful shape, each has a little blade wooden stand to set in.  I got a brass chime dinner gong for you to call all hands to breakfast in the morning.  It has a good tone and is 10 inches in diameter it sounds somewhat like the one they used to beat at the Hbg AA Station and well I am afraid raise all the neighbors.

Well, I will close for tonight, as news is scarce around here.

Heard of Taft being elected on the afternoon of the 4^th about 4:20 pm which would be about the same time am in Pa.

Love to Mother,

Affectionately, Frank

Manila Bay

November 22, 1908

Dear Papa,

As the mail goes out to the States tomorrow, will drop you a few lines to let you know that I am still alive.

On Friday we had another small typhoon which only lasted a day.  But in has been raining off and on ever since we arrived here it being just around the rainy season.

We had our battle practice today and think we came out near the top.  Fired about 100 rounds of 12, 8, and 6 inch ammunition at a target 100 x 30 feet at a distance of four miles.  The ship going 17 miles an hour.  We made about 48 hits, which is considered very good shooting.

We are now busy firing torpedoes, having mining drill, and taking aboard stores.  We coal on Saturday taking aboard 200 tons of coal.

Mail comes in tomorrow from the States, you should have addressed my mail c/o San Francisco up until October 27^th instead of October 1^st perhaps I’ll hear from you tomorrow.

We have not been ashore as yet and don’t expect to get a chance to go. Haven’t much desire.

At battle practice the fire control and telephones of which Middleton and I have charge of worked fine and aided very much in the success of the record we made.

It is very hot at present and will be eating turkey in a temperature about 98 degrees in the shade.

The sun sets at 5:25 pm and the ten days extending from the 16^th to the 26^th are the shortest of the year.

The typewriter was taken down for target practice and has not been put up yet.  Next letter will be on the typewriter.

Assure you that I won’t have to shovel any snow this writer.

Lover to mother,

Affectionately, Frank