UC-NI GIFT OF JW/'r? t/ er (/) LJ U o h I : < II \ j 2 z o d ,. | . . /' ,~&~ &U c> To his very dear friends, Doctor Charles B. Marston and family, of San Rafael, California, this volume is affectionately inscribed by the author. A SQUADRON OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY On a Friendly Cruise Around Latin America '~'- BY WILLIAM WALLACE SWINYER PRICE $1.50 Mail Orders to The New Era Publishing Company -f2-Wfthy-secoiui Avenue Oakland, California '426 St.'t' 8 Alameda, Calff. CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE . .PAGE 1 San Diego, California; San Jose de Guatemala; Shark Fishing; The Southern Cross; Burial at Sea; Balboa and Panama City; the I-anama Canal; Christobal and Colon; Crossing the Line (HOT STUFF), etc. CHAPTER TWO PAGE 14 Bahia, Brazil; Coaling Ship; Entrance to Guanabara Bay; English and French Men of War; Fourth of July at Rio de Janeiro; Description of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Nation. CHAPTER THREE PAGE 28 Reception at Montevideo; Young Men's Christian Association; The City of Montevideo and Uruguay Described; Dr. Zorilla San Martin's Address; Ascent of the Rio de Laplata; Death of Clay Tenney Lyles; Arrival at Buenos Aires; An In- discreet German; Argentina's Reception; Notation on Argentina and Buenos Aires; "La Epoca" Editorial. CHAPTER FOUR PAGE 49 Transfer of the Admiral; Transferring the Home-going Draft to the Orion; Woman Overboard; Death of Earl Crawford; Departure from Guanabara Bay; Nature Through a Port Hole; A Glorious Sunset; Sunday on/ the Orion; "Home, Sweet Home"; Description of Hampton Roads, including the Naval Hospital; Yorktown Battlefield; Tomb of Washington. SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER PAGE 60 Officers and Men Who Made History; Tribute to the American Bluejacket; Author's Opinion of the U. S. Navy; Roster of Officers and Men; Discipline on a Ship; Life Aboard Ship; Pan-American Nearly Solid in Pro- Ally Spirit; Log of Dates and Distances; Facts and Fancies. ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER ONE Frontispiece; In Memoriam; The Pittsburg Entering Gatun Locks; King Neptune and Hts ;Ccurt,- Initiation of Candidates; Neptune Versus Napoleon. ? 4.th;at/Ri6 #e Janeiro (Seven Views); Another Cluster of Seven Views at Rio;' Avenid/j, i^ CHAPTER THREE Interior of Y. M. C. A. at Montevideo; An Idea of an American Sailor; Pro-Ally Demonstration at Buenos Aires (Five Views); Argentine Parliament Building; A Vision in SPARS. CHAPTER FOUR Another Fourth of July Scene; War Map of Latin America. .56 It ^ ii C > C "* ^ c 02 Cti S^ ^ 2* if es ow {* PROLOGUE. At the outset of the following story the writer begs leave to mention that, as a result of the journey therein aibout to* be de- scribed, his own ideas concerning Latin America have shifted. Heretofore this particular domain has been a sort of minus quan- tity that did not come within the radius of his scope. Yes, North America hasn't a monopoly on all of the good things that are to be found upon the Western Hemisphere, and your humble servant is glad of it. Latin Americans are different, but by no means inferior, to other enlightened people. Their coun- try is ahead of North America in apparently so many important ways as the latter excels the former in others. Surely all Americans have reason to take pride in their own country, every foot of it, from Hudson Bay to Cape Horn. Each man of the United States squadron was so sincerely wel- comed throughout Latin America that none of them, so far as I know, had a chance to see anything that did not appeal to his better nature. Therefore the writer is enabled to make mention of only the things that ennoble rather than of those that degrade. The southern portion of America undoubtedly has, just like the region up north, many disturbing elements to contend with; but, you may depend upon it, that it is strictly alert thereto. It is amazing how so many discordant elements can be held so severely in restraint as they are in most of the Latin American common- wealths. The efficient manner in which United States sailors: were everywhere shielded from petty annoyances pleased the lads. When it comes right down to sincere hospitality, oh, say! enough said ! \ Just go south once and there, under the southern cross, learn the meaning of Simpatico. Satisfy yourself as to whether the people are not of an unusually friendly type, and, if this friendship is not genuine. A few of us, wiho had not journeyed abroad before, expected to find a sort of semi-wilderness in the southern clime. All of this notion was dispelled in the very first Latin American town that we struck. 390592 IN MEMORIAM. CLAY TEIN1VEY LYLES Died July 22, 1917. Body sent to Garland, Texas. EARL HASTINGS CRAWFORD, Died Sept. 19, 1917. Buried at Houston, Texas. E. D. WETTSTEIN, Of Bremerton, Wash., Died May 16, 1917, in Guatemalan Waters. Buried at Sea. A SQUADRON OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY On a Friendly Cruise Around Latin America Copyright, 1918, by William Wallace Swinyer CHAPTER I. The writer enlisted in the United States Naval Coast Reserve, for service on shore, and was not surprised at suddenly finding him- self aboard of a cruiser. His presumption was that, after being properly outfitted, he would be assigned to duty at some naval station. Had he any idea that an extensive cruise was in store, then a decided objection would have been made, and especially at San Diego. However, he felt quite sanguine that, when his ship should h-ave the latter harbor it would go north, but after passing Point Loma. it turned south. Needless to say. he was then very much sur- prised and realized that a perplexing- situation must be faced. Throughout all of the extensive cruise that followed there was so much of interest and so little of discomfort that it was a source of pleasure to participate. Admiral Caperton's squadron, consisting of the cruisers Pitts- burg, Frederick, Pueblo and South Dakota, passed through the Golden Gate April 25th. 1917, and headed south. After a pleasant voyage, of five hundred miles, it came to anchor under the protect- ing gams of Point Loma. Now, as everybody knows, the beautiful city of San Diego. California, is safeguarded by these same guns, and that it isi a metropolis) 'of unusual interest. The first thing that attracted attention was a fleet of seven- teen aeroplanes that were then in the, air, darting hither and yon in preparation for possible eventualities. The second object of in- terest was a larg'e rust covered steel ship that had just been re- floated, and after it was stranded fourten years on a South American island. This craft had just arrived and under it own mo- tive power. The latter fact added to the rescue of so great a vessel after it had been so long ! on the rocks caused general amazement. During our stay here I made but a single journey ashore, and that for the purpose of seeing the grounds' of the Panama-California Exposition. Was astonished and charmed at the panorama that the buildings and grounds, together with the swarms, of jet black doves flying overhead presented. Beautiful beyond the possibility of jus- tifiable description and decidedly original; this great achievement does reflect credit upon the people of Southern California. The A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America writer was privileged, to visit six of the world's great shows, begin- ning with the mighty Columbian exhibit at Chicago, and at none of these places were there such beautiful grounds as there are at San Diego. After weighing! anchor, on May 7th, the ships began a twenty- three hundred mile run to San Jose de Guatemala, where they arrived May 14th, and then laid too three miles distant from shore. While the admiral, accompanied by his staff and the usual escort of marine orderlies, were ashore, those of us who remained afloat en- joyed ourselves' in various ways. Bathing was out of the question, because of the immense number of sharks that swam lazily about. A few of these monsters were of the man-eating variety (namely, ti- ger sharks, with striped backs). These sharks afforded no little enjoy- ment, as, several of them, one fourteen feet long, fell victims to our fishermen. All hands were delighted with the balmy air and ex- quisitely blue tropical sea waters. They were also interested in the swarms of flying-fish that circled about at times not unlike a flock of blackbirds. Each night all men who could find space, therefore, slept out on deck and watched the peculiar antics of the Southern Cross. The expression "peculiar" is here used, because the five star constellation of the Southern Cross, that is seen only in southern lat- itudes, seems to those who are unversed in astronomy to ignore the accepted law's that govern the universe. While other luminaries pur- sue the course of stupendous orbets, this cross apparently remains in a fixed position slowly revolving on a central pivot. Another con- stellation, also peculiar to Latin America, is that of the false cross. It was pleasant to sleep out on deck here ; but the charm ended when we were always driven to cover on account of the midnig'ht daily tropical showers. BURIAL AT SEA. A sad incident closed our stay in these waters, when it became necessary to (bury at sea the body of E. D. Wettstein, who died on the cruiser South Dakota. Upon this occasion a twenty-mile run out to sea was made, and there, in latitude 13 degrees, 30 minutes and 30 seconds north and longitude 90 degs., 50 minutes and 00* seconds west, Wettstein 's body was buried. The surrounding water was literally alive with sharks, that were disappointed when the heavily weighted body sank with amazing swiftness to the very lowest depths of the sea. Fleet Chaplain L. N. Taylor conducted the burial, under the half-masted colors, upon the quarterdeck. This was in presence of the entire ship's company. Spotless white was the uniform of the day; except that the guard of honor wore, in addition to the regula- tion whites, a black neckerchief. Shipmate Wettstein 's body, heavily weighted and encased in a strong canvas bag, and enwrapped in the national colors, was lying in state on the starboard side. At the close of Chaplain Taylor's impressive eulogy, the body was consigned to the sea, and, while it was sinking from sight, twelve marines fired a three-volley salute. This was immediately followed by a very im- A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 3 pressive sounding of taps by Bugler Dallighan, one of the very best veteran buglers of the navy. It is reported that Dallighan performed a similar service for the martyred President McKinley. As an espe- cial tribute of respect to the deceased sailor, each officer of the ship wore an arm baud of crepe that was: three inches wide. The sea is now his winding- sheet, Beneath the Southern Cross he lies asleep; His dust is mingling with the sand, That sweeps the shores of a foreign land. The Admiral's Return. After three days the admiral returned from his satisfactory visit with Senor Cabrera, el Pr-esidente de Guatemala, and the cruise was resumed May 17th. As the lofty volcanic mountain peaks of (Guatemala disappeared from view, there were many expressions of regr-et because it had not been possible for liberty leave in this most friendly and beautiful country. Although the volcanic peaks were of majestic mien, they impressed some of the lads with an ominous feeling. This portent was especially significant in view of the terrible catastrophe that has just overwhelmed that land. Just prior to arrival of the American squadron, Guatemala broke relations with Germany. Her example was followed by Nic- aragua, Costa Rica and Honduras. Directly after leaving the vicinity of Guatemala, and while the squadron was pas*in