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1901 U.S.S. Kentucky, At Sea, Hong Kong to Manila.

April 7 Got up anchor at 6:00 a.m. During the morning held forced draft trial trip but two accidents happened, a hot cross-head bearing, and trouble with the steering engine. In the afternoon the ship made 16 knots for two hours with forced draft, 9000 horse power, 105 revolutions.

8. Making an average of 14.5 knots an hour. Just after noon shifted to hand steering gear. The steering gear worked hard and the ship swung so heavily from side to side that steering by steam was resumed.

9. Cavite, Philippine Islands.

Anchored at about 7 a.m. During the day sent drafts of men, including a band, to the flagship Brooklyn. Naval Cadets Meaner [?] and Train reported on board the Brooklyn, of which ship Captain Thomas relinquished, and Captain Dickens assumed, command.

10 Rear Admiral Remey, on the Brooklyn, left for Australia at 10 a.m. At 10:30 Rear Admiral Kempff hoisted the blue rear admiral’s flag. Commenced coaling ship. a strong rivalry among the divisions caused them to work rapidly, and what coal was put in was placed in the bunkers at a rate of about 137 tons an hour. The cascoes of coal were very slow coming alongside, and only 390 tons was taken in.

11 Continued coaling. took in 305 tons.

12 Finished coaling at 3 p.m. and started to clean the ship which was exceptionally dirty on account of the long duration of the coaling.

13. Cleaned ship all day. I went to Manila from 2 to 10:45 p.m., seeing the city for the first time.

14. Naval Cadet M.C. Entee reported aboard.

15. Set out targets and had subcalibre practice. The company of marines landed for record target practice ashore.

16. Continued subcalibre and rifle practice and had sailing boat drill in afternoon.

The U.S.S. Vicksburg, steaming out of the harbor, ran into the Kentucky’s 3d Cutter, which

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was at the time in irons and unable to manoeuvre. The outwater of the Vicksburg struck the Cutter a glancing blow. All but three of the Cutter’s crew jumped into the water. The Vicksburg dropped her lifebuoys and preservers and as soon as she could stop lowered a boat. A steamer and four boats from the Kentucky were quickly manned and picked up all those in the water.

I was sailing the whale-boat and was just astern of this ship when the accident happened. My foremast had carried away completely and it was left standing, held by one of the crew, to support the jib, the foremast being taken in. The whale-boat was so encumbered with spars when the masts were taken down and oars gotten out that she did not get there as soon as some of the other boats.

17. Landed at 6 a.m. at the rifle butts at Cavite with part of the Fourth Division for record target practice. The firing was done with a rest, at 300 yards, each man firing three trial shots and then a string of ten. Thirty men fired by twelve o’clock, when we returned to the ship. The average score was about 36, of a possible 50.

18. General Quarters in the morning; subcalibre target practice in the afternoon.

19. Took another part of Fourth Division ashore for target practice, with both rifles and revolvers. The records made were very good.

20. Articles of war [i] were read at Quarters.

22. Fourth Division fired at target from ship. Firing at will for one minute, the division scored 102 hits on an Army B target; 61 men firing 685 shots. Five volleys made 106 hits our of 305 shots.

24. The U.S. Ships Annapolis, Frolic, Piscataqua and Wampatuck entered the Bay and anchored at 11 a.m., having crossed the Atlantic and passed through Suez on the way from New York.

25. The U.S.S. Yorktown arrived from Hong Kong.

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April 27. Received orders detaching me from the Kentucky on May 1st, and for duty on the Mariveles.

29. Inspected the Mariveles, gunboat of 142 tons lying alongside the El Cairo at Cavite Navy Yard.

Naval Cadet Abernathy reported on board and relieved me of all duties which I had previously performed; I continuing with the Fourth Division.

30. Company drill in the morning. Target practice and boat drill during afternoon.

U.S. Gunboat Mariveles. Cavite, P.I.

May 1. The mariveles was put in commission at 2 p.m. I had moved my baggage aboard during the morning, and reported aboard for duty at 1:30 p.m. The Captain of the yard turned the ship over to Ensign William D. Leahy. The crew of 23 men were sent from the station ship Manila. There was no equipment on board and no conveniences for preparing supper and sleeping aboard. The men elected their caterer and with their own mess outfits were as well off their first meal as any other. I went to the Kentucky, attended the reception being given their [sic], and returned to the Mariveles early next morning.

2. The ship could not be cleaned or scrubbed in any way on account of having no brushes but the men were kept busy most of the day getting ordnance stores aboard.

The Mariveles is moored with bow, stern and breast lines and springs and spur shores to the left hand side of the Cavite Navy Yard dock. The stores are brought aboard by loading them on railway trucks in front of the store houses, a railway leading to the dock where the ship is moored.

3. More stores were brought aboard today, but there is much trouble in getting them. The departments of the Yard want requisitions made out for wheat we need, while we wish to be spared

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time and trouble caused by requisitions. Admiral Kempff wishes the boat to get to sea as quickly as possible, and I think. he expected us to be ready about three days after being put in commission. At the present rate of preparation, it will take half a month. The Commandant of the Yard favors us and helps us all he can, but all heads of departments are our enemies, and want to make us do all the work they should do when a ship goes in commission.

4 We are moored in line with the ways and had to haul across the dock to let a gun boat go up on the ways. When we came back to the original position the U.S.S. Paragua tied up alongside of us. The spur shores are too large, they are big enough for a battleship. When the tide goes down they cant up, the ship (and this time the two ships) has to be pushed out and all lines readjusted.

5. Today we held quarters and inspection of ship. The ship is getting gradually into shape, but there are still many things to be cleaned and put in order.

6-7 The crew was sent from the U.S.S. Manila, which, as receiving ship takes aboard the men liberated from the naval prison. One of these was sent to us. He broke a plate which Ah Ket our Chinaman had left lying about, and when the Chinaman tried to blame him for it he hit him. Ket came running back to the Cabin bawling like a baby, and bleeding from the mouth. We sent him to the doctor to get patched up, and the man who hit him was sent to jail in Cavite and then transferred back to the Manila.

8 Ket got another Chinaman, Lo Ling, who we enlisted. He couldn’t talk much English and hardly knew what to do, but he appeared very

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anxious to please and scared lest he should do anything wrong. Three days after his arrival on board he ran away. Ket was very much surprised and went to Manila to find him. He found him, but Ling did not care to return. Two days later Ket also deserted. We were now without any servants. The first day we lived on canned goods and fruit. Then the crew fed us; and much to our surprise the crew seemed to be living as well as we had been, when we had the Chinamen.

We anchored out in the stream on May 9th. We were still getting stores aboard every day. And we transferred three objectionable members of the crew to the Manila and received others in their places.

13. Lighted fires under boiler today, expecting to be set out before long. The flagship sent us two Chinamen, and we had all the equipment the Navy Yard could give us. There were many things needed that were not in store and no time to wait for their purchase. The Flag Lieutenant Victor Blue came aboard and told us to hurry up.

18 With two passengers, Lt Comd’r Sherman, and Naval Cadet Fischer, we got underway at 10:15 a.m. for Cebu. We swung for deviation when out in the bay. On the night of May 21, while trying to enter Cebu, the ship ran aground on a coral reef. We worked from 1:00 a.m. to 4 trying to get her off with anchors astern and shifting weights. At four in the morning Fischer went in a boat to Cebu, and at seven the U.S.S. Pampanga came to tow us off. This she did at 9:30 a.m., but we came off so easily that it seems the tide was some higher than when we grounded. We steamed up to Cebu and anchored at about noon.

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1901 U.S.S. Mariveles, Cebu, P.I.

May 21 The Princeton, Arrayat, and Mindoro were in port. Lt Comdr Sherman left the Mariveles to be Executive of the Princeton.

23 Put to sea at 5:30 for Iloilo. In the afternoon swung for deviation, and then anchored off the northern end of Cebu. Got underway early next morning and the next night anchored off Bamate. [ii] Fischer and I went ashore. The Commandant, Medical Officer and native President of the city entertained us with tuba, [iii] music and dances, and all the style possible in a Filipino town. At about noon of the 25th anchored off Iloilo in company with the Leite and the Albany. The Albany had telegraphic orders for our immediate return to Cebu. Under protest we obtained permission to take water, and this we did from a spring at Buena Vista Point, pouring the water into the boats through bamboo pipes. At 3:50 we got underway, and at 5:10 anchored for the night out of Iloilo.

26 Swung ship for deviation 30 miles from Mt. Juan de Azucar a perfect, sharp cone, and at about 6 p.m. anchored north of Cebu Island.

27 Underway at 5 a.m. stopped to overhaul a lorcha, [iv] and anchored at Cebu at 6 p.m. The Don Juan de Austria, in port, was senior ship.

28 We went alongside the Naushau and took coal. Next day water boat brought fresh water in barrels. The Austria left port together with the Princeton.

30 The Zafiro came in and anchored, and left port again next day. The Mindoro telegraphed that she had run aground in the Gandara River near the Libukan Islands, Samar.

June 2. The Austria sent us eight men and tools and material to take to the Mindoro. Got up anchor at 10:30 a.m. While abreast of Capitancillo I. our port propeller with a section of shafting fell off. We put into

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Bogo, a native town nearby to telegraph.

There was no telegraphic connection here. We proceeded to Libukau, and arrived there about 2 p.m. June 3rd. The Villalobos, Lt. Huse, Comd’g was seen inshore and we headed for her; she anchored off Gandara R., we anchored a quarter mile outside of her, but at seven o’clock moved half a mile further inshore.

4. We sent the eight men we had brought with the hawsers, boards, plates and tools, to the Mindoro.

Samar is the island on which General Lukbau now has the largest and best equipped Filipino army still in the field. A determined effort is being made to capture him. An entire regiment of the Army is here. The island is declared closed to all trade and communications, and all gunboats available are here to enforce this decree.

The Filipino army is at present south of the Gandara River. The Mindoro went up this river to co-operate with the army and if necessary cut off an attempted escape across the river by Lukbau.

The Gandara is a river with sharp bends, eight feet of water at high tide and four at low. The Mindoro draws six and one half feet. She is therefore required to steam at high tide, and rest on the bottom at low. She was unlucky enough to rest on a sharp rock which pierced her bottom at a very inaccessible place — the forward end of the boiler room.

Up to this time attempts have been made to float her by chaining down lighters by her sides at low tide, and by filling all the space under

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[Photo of “Filipinos. Paraja Native Shell Game.]

[Photo of a Nipa House]

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the boiler with hemp, surrounded by cement.

June 5 The U.S. Ships Princeton and D.J. de Austria came into the anchorage. During the afternoon we steamed up to Kalbayok, [v] a town of 15000, the largest of Samar. We bought stores from the Commissary at this place and returned to the Gandara.

6 Steamed to Kalbayok again for a lighter, but failed to get one.

7 The Mariveles was needed to go up the Gandara to relieve the Mindoro, but on account of her lost port propeller and diminished manoeuvring powers it was decided that she should return to Cavite for repairs. At 5:10 a.m. The Don Juan de Austria took us in tow and we proceeded, helping with our own engine, to Cavite.

8 The weather was very rough for this small vessel, a heavy sea and moderate gale gave her a great deal of pitching. We stopped our engine an hour to repair an eccentric.

9 Cavite, P.I.

Anchored off Cavite at 7:40 a.m. In port were the U.S.T.S. New York with Rear Admiral Rodgers, who was Commander-in-Chief in the absence of Rear Admiral Remey; the Austria, Yorktown, Annapolis, Petrel, Manila, Solace, Culgoa, Sardoqui, Castive, Alava, and Frolic. The Frolic left in the afternoon.

10. The Austria left port.

11. The New York left port.

12. The Petrel and Solace left port. At 2:45 p.m. The Tug Balanga towed us to Sangley Point [vi] where during a continuous rain we discharged the coal from our bunkers, taking out 18 tons.

The German Flagship Hansa, entered and saluted the port with 21 guns. The Annapolis returned the salute.

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[Photographs: The Walled City of Manila. and Cascoes in the Pasig.]

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June 13 The General Alava[l] left port. The tug Balanga towed us alongside the El Cairo at the Naval Station docks where we tied up at noon. The water boat tied up alongside of us for the night and we took in a ton of fresh water.

14 Between 6 and 8 in the morning we were hauled upon the Ways. During the day workmen scraped the ships bottom. The propeller shaft was seen to be broken off just within the sleeve of the stern tube. The port strut was bent and broken. Two small dents, one on each side, were left in the bottom plates, forward of the ships middle, as a result of the grounding off Cebu.

15 The Annapolis left port, the New York came back, the Yorktown saluted with 13 guns.

Workmen continued to scrape the bottom.

16. U.S.S. Bosco came in.

17 Received order from Comd’r-in-Chief to forward the following information, without delay to the Department:-

1. Material of hull? Mild Steel

2. By whom built? Spanish Government

3. Condition of service June 30, 1900? Gunboat Duty in Southern Philippine Islands.

4. Ship fully equipped, ready for sea, all stores on board, normal coal supply?

a. Length on load line? 100’ 6”

b. Extreme breadth? 16’ 2”

c. Mean draft? 6’ 0”

d. Extreme draft? 6’ 8”

e. Displacement? 160 tons by calculation

5. Gross tonnage? 37 tons

6. Net tonnage? 6 tons

7. Type of engines and boilers? Two inclined compound, high speed engines, bolted together, condenser between. Boiler--Scotch, return fire, tubular

8. Speed per hour? 7.5 knots

9. Maximum indicated horse power? Not known

10. Tons per inch immersion at normal draft? 2.73

11. Normal coal supply? 25 tons

12. Bunker capacity? 26 tons

13. Maximum draft, ship ready for sea, bunkers full? 7 feet

14. Steaming radius at 7.5 knots per hour? 2000 miles

15. Steaming radius at most economical speed? “ “

16. Battery? 1 3 Pdr; 2 1 Pdrs; 1 Colt Gun

17. Complement?

a. Officers? 2

b. Men? 23

18. If purchased, purchase price and date of purchase? Not known

19. Date of completion of building? Not known

20. Date of first commission? Not known

21. Information as to powers, and capabilities, etc. Low speed is due to lack of steam, the boiler being too small.

Respectfully,

[signature not legible]