Part 2

April 17. Making all posable speed to Sandy Point, making about 15 knots ever since we started this morning. 12 O clock Midday, there is some of the most beautyfull and grandest sights I have ever had the pleasure to look upon. I am shure if I could only write on the subject I could make it very interesting. I never seen such beautyfull wild nature in all my travels; there is mountain after mountain of Glacier and they seem to have all the colors of the rainbow, it was a little cold too and the whole Mountains sparkled like diamonds. 6. P.M. drop anchor in the Harber of Sandy Point, Chili. Had the public bin able to see us, They would not stop runing for the next week to come, for we cleard ship for action and had the guns all loaded up and ready for buisness and to Blaze away at any thing that looked as thoe it wanted to fight. Capt Clark belives in for warned for armed, and takes no chances. had the two Steam Cutters patroling the ship as usual.

She made one of the grandest runs on record, for 11 hours making an average of 15-1/2 knots; it knocks the Worlds record sky high. Just think of a first Class Battle Ship making 15-1/2 knots for 11 straight hours on a straight away run, and we all think she could beat that time. But we had over the bow 2 anchors with the flukes of both in the water 3 feet. I am sure that held her Back 2 tenths of a knot. And the Marietta is not hear. the Capt dont know what has becom of her.

April 18. Well the Marietta is hear this morning, she came in at 12.15 this morning. She was in the straights when we past her, she was laying off in one of the coves waiting for us, the man on lookout sighted us as we pased her, and told his capt and he said let her go, we will up anchor and overhall her in a short time. it hapened that the lookout was on board of the Oregon and he told his Capt that the Marietta could never catch the Oregon. Well any way she came in a little affter midnight.

The first thing this morning we started to coal up. I havent found out how many tons we are going to take hear. But the price is $25 a ton. I think we will take about 800 tons. all the men on the Marietta say they had a very rough trip. We are in a great rush to get out of hear. Capt Clark asked Capt Simons if he had any towing Bits. Looks as thoe we were going to snake him along with us. I am detailed to go into the fighting top to night as capt of one Pounder and look out, we have a double watch on now all the time and it makes the Duty very hard thies war times.

April 19. Still coaling up, was working all night to night, expect to be through to night sometime. Puting on sea stors along with the coal. Meat, Can goods, coal dust, all mixed up togather. What is the defirance, it all goes thies times. The Marietta had some trouble in geting coal to day. She only got 40 tons since 1 A.M. this morning, so Capt Clark ordered him to go along side of the Coal Hulk and take all he wanted, for Capt sais we must have the coal and therefor must take it as we are going out of hear to morrow. 3.30 P.M. there was an Argentine Gun Boat came in Port and I would not be suprised to see a scrap hear before we left. Chili and Argentine are in hot disput over this place, it seems they both clame it to there Boundry line. Chili sent a company of Soldiers hear the 18th and they expect a Transport with som Soldiers from Argentine to night som time, so I for one would like to see a good scrap of som kind for an appetizer for us, Just to take the rough edge off you know. we are standing by our Guns all the time and sleep by them by night. While the Jackies coal ship all hands are doing there part and there is no fudging going on. of corse there is all kinds of War talk in the air.

April 20. At 12.30 A.M. still coaling up. Every thing working smooth and nothing to stop, it is a beautyfull night and the Southern Cross looms up with more beauty than I ever seen befor. But the ships bum Boat is all right too, she loomed up with a big ketle of hot Steaming cocoa, Just the thing a man wants when he has the mid watch. the wether is very cold down hear. a few of the men is going ashore to morrow. I dont think I will be able to go as I will have the afternoon watch, any way I dont care much as I am use to the ship now. I could stay hear for a year. I wish we wer around to Key West so as to be with the Band wagon when she starts. Mr. Giles, Midshipman, is a very sick man, he was taken ill in the Cabin this morning. I went for the Doctor for him at 1.45 A.M. Doc said he had a hemorrhage of the lungs caused by concussion. 3. A.M. he is asleep and doing fine now. I woulden like to see him die, he is a fine fellow. 3.45 A.M. coal all on board. 4.30 P.M. the Capt is on the warpath, he is mader than a wet hen for he tryed to get out of hear by 2 P.M. to day, But could not on the account of the Marietta having some trouble with her coal, so we both go tomorrow morning at daybreak.

April 21. Called all hands at 5.30 A.M. and up anchor at 6. A.M. I called the old man at 5.40 A.M. Signaled over to pullout and we are tailing on behind untill we get out of the Straights, going about 10 knots; at 6 Bells met a steamer Bound for Klondyke, we drop a whale boat and sent our Boarding officer to find out the news if there was any But was disapointed. She had no news, she was 15 days from Rio de Janeiro. 7.30 P.M. All is going well. The Marietta is astern now and likely to remain so untill we get in the next Port. we past another steamer about 3 P.M. and when I go on watch to night at 8 I will try and find out something about her. Came off at 12 midnight and she signaled to us no news of War. We have to go slow on account of the Marietta. had some targate practis today with all the Guns. We travel at nights with all lights out now adays so as not to let any thing slip up on us, and at the same time slip up on them.

April 22. Wind is very high, lost a life Boat this morning at 5.20 A.M. from the after Davits, good thing the wind is head on, the Sea is runing high. 8 P.M. Sea and wind has gon down considerable. Making about 10-1/2 knots. Ellis is sick poor man, I am standing his watch to night. 11.45 P.M. going about the same and all is well.

April 23. I think we will have a dash of Gen Quarters, Just to shake the Boys up. the old man is anxious to have targate Practis, he believes this ship whips the shoes off any thing that floats in the line of Battle ships, of corse Baring a Torpedo if one should hapen to hit, and I think the old man is right too, for this crew feals scrapy now. I think we would fight fer Keeps. Had Gen Quarters in the morning and Church in the afternoon.

April 24. All is well, at 12 O clock noon to day we wer in Lat. 44° 23m and Lon 57° 48m. had some fire drill to day mixed with a little collision drill.

April 25. 4 A.M. Just came on watch and I am going on deck to get a cup of cocoa to wake me up abit. the old man is in the Chart house snoozing, so I guess it is safe to go. Every thing has settled down to the same old thing except when we have some Targate Practis By throwing boxes over board.

April 26. 8 A.M. All is well, same thing, Making 10-1/2 sometimes 11 knots. Had clear ship for action today.

April 27. Every body begins to feal the trip now, geting tiresome now. since they have taken all of our ditty Boxes and benches and all extra mess chests and stored them away, we have no place to sit down except on deck and let our feet hang over. then the men forward cant get enough water to keep themselves clean. I am more lucky than most of them for I have a chance to steal a Bucketful one every night. our cook is no good, he makes sour Bread and would make good schrapnel for clearing the decks, and of corse your humble servant has to chew Hard Tack. had more Targate practis to day.

April 28. good stiff Breeze to day. Expect to have more targate practis to day with ful charges of amanition; no practis, wind too high.

April 29. good day to day, guess we will have it to day, no we dont have it. the old man has changed his mind and we will try and make Port to morrow.

April 30. Started to pul out this morning at 5.30 A.M, useing forsed draught, making 14.5 knots, going to try and make it by 4 P.M, have a head wind and light head sea. Droped anchor at 3 P.M. in the beautyfull harber of Rio de Janeiro, and befor the Mud hook struck the botom we had the news that war was declared on the 21st of April 1898, the very day we puled out of Sandy Point. as soon as every thing was put to order we Broke out the Band to give us the Star Spangled Baner, and the Crew diden do a thing But yell and whoop her up, so they had to play it over 4 times. The Marietta got in at 7 P.M. The Forts at this place were not going to let her in. But when they see her Signal they let her pass O.K. started to coal up at 8.25 P.M. and we get out of hear as soon as we can. I hear the Spanish has got one of our Merchant ships, the Shanandore, loaded with English goods. I wonder how that is going to com out. Every one on this ship is crasie to get at the Spanish.

May 1. Just com on watch. Beautyfull morning and still coaling ship. Hear is where you can get lots of sour frute and Bananas by the ship load for a little mony. But we are not aloud to Buy any thing that isent sour on account of Yellow Feaver at this place. The Brazilian soldiers stop up all night to be up erly in the morning; they started to give us Revelee about 3 O clock this morning, diden get through until 4 A.M. it sounds very pretty early in the morning when you are all ready awake, and such a beautyfull morning as this is you can hear the echo of the drums up in the hils far away. You would all most wish you could stop hear all the time and be a Brazilian for good. But I coulden leave my Dear land for all the pretty sights Ive seen togather.

May 2. American Minerster Just com on board and told us the news of the Battle of Manila, the Yanks did up every thing there. coal is coming on very slow and the old man is geting ancious to get out.

May 3. going out tomorrow morning at 6. A.M. The crew is very enthusiastic over the war. got out this morning all right But going slow. I think we are fooling around hear. Have Nictheroy as a transport boat. She has 2000 tons of coal on Board for us and they say she is an 18 knoter.

May 4. I guess the war is on for keeps now. We have com back to Rio or near it to wate for a Spanish Torpedo Boat that has bin laying around hear for the last 3 days and at the same time to take the Nictheroy.

May 5. lost some time waiting for the Nictheroy But she came along at dark. the Marietta will look out for her and we will pull out for Key West I think.

May 6. Every thing doing well and making 10 and 11 knots right off the reel now. at 8 P.M. the old man called all the Ward Room officers in the Cabin and read the tellegrams to them from Washington Which wer his sealed Orders and one of them reads like this: four armered Crusiers left Cape de Verde at some date and 2 Torpedo Boats, Destination unknown, and the old man is told to beware. The old man had a consul of War to night, so if we have to scrap, we will have to cut a lively gate for them. they say the Spanish is some Kind of a fighter him self. But we all think we can show him a trick with a hole in it. that was a great fight of the Manilla bay.

May 7. Every thing doing well, except this morning at 4.50 A.M. Gen Quarters sounded and there was a lively old time for a while. Every body thought we wer in for it then and there. I cannot describe the fealing of enthusiasm about the Decks. you see we had our orders to send in a Gen alarm when ever any thing looked like a Manowar got in sight. there was a little rain squall and some old sailing ship was in it, and just as she cleared away our lookout sighted the ship and sent in the alarm; it was the Capts orders to send in the alarm even if he was not there as he would get there all right. at 9 A.M. the old man called all hands to muster on the Quarter deck and told us the news he had received at Rio: there was 4 first class cruisers and three Torpedo Boats going to meet around hear some where and do us up. we all expect they will if they can, But the pruf of the Puding is the eating of it and we will have something to say about that. And after telling us about the fleet that was going to whip the socks off us he made a little speach to us; he said of corse it was his duty to the Goverment to get the ship around on the other side and stear clear of the fleet if posable. But in case he did meet the fleet he was sure Spain's fighting efficiency on the sea would be demineshed. So we all gave him three rousen Cheers and the old man Blushed, but he is a dandy Just the same.

May 8. got to Bahia, Bra. at 8.30 P.M. after making a good run and having Targate practis with full charges of Powder, don some fine shooting with the Big Guns. I dont think it will be a bit too healthy for the Spanish to bump up against us, for we have a good eye. We put in hear as an excuse to put on War paint saying our engines wer Brok down and at the same time to get more coal if we can.

May 9. Put on War paint to day and we are out for it now. we have the ship cleared for action now for keeps. got some coal and fresh water, filed up with every thing we wanted. at 8 P.M. the old man got telagram and at 10 P.M. we wer on our corse for the West Indias.

May 10. going along smooth and nothing doing.

May 11. still expect to meet that fleet and if we do meet them there is going to be a "Hot time in the old town to night."

May 12. Every thing the same, some of us think we past through the fleet last night, there wer several lights all around and acted Mighty quer.