Page 75

March 28, 1899. Overcast and cloudy early in the day. Very misty. Light breezes. All hands coaling ship. Took fresh water aboard (20,000 gallons). The Captain made an official visit to the Argentine man-of-war, the Samento. Was returned at 11 by the Captain of that ship. Went ashore about 2:15 with Lieutenant Griffin and Cadet Gilmer to get Artificial Horizons, Magnetic bearing, and to test compasses. Used dinghy and sailed about 4 miles. Took observations in a large open field. Came back about 5:00 PM. Cloudy toward evening , and a very heavy dew. Barometer rising. Received during day about 300 ton of coal.


March 29, 1899, overcast and cloudy. But pleasant. Barometer falling. Started coaling ship at 5:00 AM. Warm toward 10:00 AM. Received a visit from the Prefect of Callao, and the Captain of the Port. The former was saluted with 12 guns. The U. S. Minister of Peru came on board during the afternoon, and at his departure a salute 15 guns was fired in his honor. Toward evening, cloudy and very foggy. Gentle breeze. Sent mail ashore. Wrote to J and L yesterday. But the letters I found out did not leave the ship until today. Knocked off coaling about 5:30. Everything is filthy and dirty from coal dust. Natives came off to sell wears, such as wearing apparel, jewelry, etc. Beer was brought on board and one bottle served out to each man, providing he paid for it. Very few missed it. Found an old piece of paper, and read what was visible. Learned that J.Y. Bassell Pay Clerk on board of the ‘Wilmington’, during my time, fell out of a window in Ohio, and was instantly killed. Was a very promising young man, was clerk to the Paymaster Cheatham during our trouble with Spain, on board the U.S.S. Wilmington.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction to the 1899 Ship's Logbook of the USS Badger and glossary of names contained within:

Image
  Note: Expand for glossary of names. Please use search feature to find the name in the text. The  USS Badger  Log came into our possession through my husband's family. Over the course of a century, it traveled from the East Coast, around the tip of South America, and into the Pacific, eventually settling in San Francisco. After the Spanish-American War, it returned to Connecticut with John Klinger, where it was passed down through generations to his great-great-nephew. Now, in our care here in California, we feel a responsibility to share this remarkable piece of history with others. The time has come to publish it for all to enjoy. The following is a transcription of the ship's logbook from the U.S.S. Badger during the period of 02/01/1899 to 08/06/1899. The ensign responsible for recording the daily activities was John William Klinger (1875-1933), who is an ancestor of our family. We have in our possession of the actual ship's log. I feel it is important to transcribe ...
Read more

Page 30

Image
February 6, 1899, Cloudy and pleasant. Course changed at noon to S.E. Crew mustered at quarters. Exercised at "setting up" drill. Tested search light and found it in unsatisfactory order. Electric control and automatic feed were out of order.   Lat 21° 42' N - at noon DR   Long 58° 01' W - at noon DR Distance traveled since noon February 5, 299 miles. Wrote to J February 7, 1899, clear and pleasant. Fresh breeze to E.N.E On course. S.E.(psc) At 9:30 AM, mustered at quarters. Battalion organized. At 10:20 sail was sighted. Choppy sea. Shifting coal from forehold to bunker. Secured out hammocks. Light showers from passing clouds between 7 and 8 PM – I was today given instructions, that during action, fire or collision drill, general quarters, clear ship for action. I was to act as messenger on the bridge for the navigator, at all times, and at all drills. I said to myself, "This is a cinch" Lat 18° 20' N at noon DR   Long 54° 07' W at noon DR   distanc...
Read more

Page 27

Image
Abridged log of the USS Badger. Making passage from Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California. Via the straits of Magellan Stopping at Lat 13° S. Bahia, Brazil Lat 34° S. Montevideo, Uruguay. Lat 51° S. Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Lat 33° S. Valparaiso, Chile. Lat 12° S. Callao, Peru and Lat 37° N San Francisco. Left Norfolk, Va (Lat, 36° 50’ N) February 1, 1899 Arrived San Francisco April 15, 1899 – 8:30 p.m. Left San Francisco April 26, 1899 for Honolulu. Left Honolulu May 13, 1899 for Samoa. John W Klinger Geoman USS Badger. Crew 175 Marines 25. Commander. James M Miller J. B. Milton Ex. Officer T. D. Griffin, Navigator Yates Sterling Ensign JRY. Blakely Ensign RR Belknap Ensign O.D. Norton Howard Ash Asst Paymaster R. S. Paul Ch. Engineer   N. H. Hall 2nd Lieutenant Marines -. A. Cooper Boatswain J. A. O’Connor Carpenter C. Larson Mate   W. A. Hipkins Pay clerk F Morrison Naval Cadet   J. T. Bowers Naval Cadet   J. B. Gilmer Naval Cadet C. C. Block Naval...
Read more