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December
13th - 20th - Columbo, Ceylon
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As the only port
in the Indian Ocean for coaling, Colombo received the
American Fleet without fanfair and cheering crowds allowing
the ships to proceed with the task. The ships
were anchored inside the breakwater of the harbor where
people were able to view the ships from the jetty and
come alongside in small boats.
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The cards above
are all from the E.
L. DeMoss collection, a sailor onboard the USS Kansas.
In this group of photographs he shows the view
from the Kansas, including: above - the Kansas
passing into the inner harbor; 1) a view of the inner
harbor with the two columns of battleships; 2) Coin
Divers along side the Kansas; 3) A view from the bow
to the entrance to the harbor; 4) people on the jetty
and small boat; 5) the bow of the USS Connecticut.
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is a program issued
for sailors ashore to assist
them in having a good time while
in Ceylon. In included
the map at left and warnings
regarding the rickshaws, the
water, and fruit.
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"The natives wear very few clothes
and may children run naked until they are four and five years old. We passed through miles of coconut, mango,
and banana trees, while acres of tea and rice fields could we be seen on every
side. Before we reached the mountains we could see the rice being
raised in level fields, but when we reached the mountain side we found them
still raising crop, but instead of the level fields the little plots rose in
terrace after terrace to the height of several hundred feet, the water from the
top gradually working down through the different levels until it reached the
bottom."
From
the
letters of Frank Lesher, USS
Virginia
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This
program is from a concert given
at the Public Hall on December
14, 1908.
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Officers and crew
were again treated to the receptions
and amusements of all kinds.
Although Admiral Sperry
requested that there by no celebration,
a brilliant week was arranged.
A concert under the direction
of Sir Henry Edward McCallum,
Governor of Ceylon, and Lady
McCallum, was given on December
14th, and on December 15th Sir
Allan Perry, chief medical officer
of the island, gave a dinner
to the medical officers of the
fleet. Numerous dances,
dinners, "at homes"
and a program of sports were
also arranged. Entertainment was planned on each
ship for the crew and for visitors from Colombo.
One
such event onboard the USS Virginia.
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city erected an arch in recognition of the visit which
became popular for sailors to
be photographed near. The postcards from above show the gate
with the second two cards from the M.
R. Battey collection. Below
are some additional cards from
the collection showing street
scenes in the city of Colombo.
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"The
enlisted men were granted shore leave and took a train
each day for Kandy, the capital of Ceylon, as guests
of the Government, all the good conduct men being
thus entertained. Kandy is situated on the shores
of an artificial lake in the interior of the island,
and the men expressed great admiration of the magnificent
scenery and the ancient palace of the King of Ceylon. "
From the Man-O'Warsman Magazine, February, 1909 At
left, the train to Kandy, below scenes from around Kandy
from the E.
L. DeMoss collection.
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Onboard
the ships venders and snake charmers showed up each
day to earn the coins of sailors while swimmers in the
waters were willing to dive for coins tossed from
the ship. The decks were a showplace for jewellery
venders and cobras fighting mongooses. The snake
charmers would start by showing the snake and offering
to introduce the mongoose for a fight to the death if
enough money was collected from the sailors.
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Snake charmers aboard the USS Kansas. From
the Collection of E. L. DeMoss.
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At right: Schedule
of the USS Connecticut - "Colombo Ceylon, and still
seeing the world but thinking very much of home."
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This
collection contains the postcards that E.
V. Hubbard, USS Wisconsin. They were puchased
while ashore during his days visiting Ceylon and Kandy.
To see more of this collection visit the link
above.
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Everywhere
sailors found elephants and monkeys. They were
quick to purchase rides on the elephants and monkeys
to bring back to the ships. The card on the left
mail from a sailor on the USS New Jersey upon returning
to Hampton Roads, while the one on the right mailed
from Cairo from the USS Kansas.
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These two cards
show a sailor riding a elephant for photographers Brown
& Schaffer. The photo to the right was later
sold to H. H. Stratton to make the postcard on the left,
available when they returned to Hampton Roads.
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| From the collection of M.
R. Battey this collection of portraits of people sailors saw on
the streets of Colombo. This series of cards was not postally
used and kept in the effects of Battey to be passed on to his relatives
upon his death.
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cards above are part of a photo album that Midshipman
Van Burien Edwards of the USS Connecticut brought
back from the cruise. This group show the different
views of Ceylon.
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Cards
that were mailed from sailors during their visit are
highly collectable. At left: Buddist ceremony
postcard mailed upon return to Norfolk onboard the USS
Wisconsin. At right: A card from the collection
of Miss May Phelps.
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This group of
cards is from the photographs of Brown & Schaffer.
This collection of cards was sold to sailors aboard
ships using a numbering system for the photos, similar
to the methods used on the modern cruise lines! Photographs
were posted on a large board with numbers and sailors
would write down the number of their selection for purchase.
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Copyright(c) 2002 My Company. All rights reserved.
Bill@GreatWhiteFleet.info
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