Pacific Ocean--China Sea

John Callan O’Laughlin reports on the movements of Russian admiral Zinoviĭ Petrovich Rozhestvenskiĭ’s fleet in the China Sea. He believes that these movements show that Russia is not yet ready to take the first steps toward peace with Japan. Russian Ambassador Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini has also stated that currently there is not a chance for peace.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-09

Charles C. Myers describes a series of thirty-one postcards illustrating his time as a sailor during the Great White Fleet’s journey through the China Sea and visit to Japan.

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Creation Date

Unknown

Postcard showing the smokestacks and top of the battleship Wisconsin above the waves of the China Sea.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “I assure you that a storm at sea is no pleasant experience when the ocean’s surface is like high mountains and deep valleys all traveling with the speed of the wind and the ship is tossed up and down and around like a small cork in a large tank of water, first on one side and then the other till you are sure that the ship is going to turn clear over and the next instant it seems to be standing nearly on the end and you are thrown against one wall and then the other whenever you attempt to walk across the room. At one instant the ship is on the summit of the mountain of water and then it goes down like an elevator with lightening speed as the mountain glides out from under it and then up again as it rides the surface of the next mountain coming along.

The China sea well deserves its reputation as being the roughest body of water on the globe and seldom may a ship cross this sea without seeing something of a storm. We are now with the Battleship Fleet and crossing the China Sea enroute from Philipine [sic] Islands to Japan, a seven days trip, and on the third day out from Manilla [sic] a typhoon crossed before us and we had the full experience of the rough water. This shows one of the great swells or ocean mountains with the battleship Wisconsin just beyond the summit, the next instant from this same location we would be looking down upon the ship while it was way down in the deep valley.”

Postcard showing the conning tower of the USS Virginia above the waves of the China Sea.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This shows one of the great ocean swells going toward the battleship Virginia and that ship will be almost completely under water before it can rise up and be on top of the mountain. Now a battleship is made so that it could hardly sink. It has hundreds of rooms or compartmrnts [sic] with steel walls and air tight. These rooms are kept closed when at sea so that they are filled with air and water cannot get in. Now if you take a rubber bag and fill it with air and then plunge it beneath the water it will at once come to the top. Just so with a battleship, it has hundreds of these large rooms air tight, so if the ship be plunged beneath the water it will instantly come to the top. Now when that large wave or mountain hits the ship it will look…” [annotation continued on next postcard].

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the bow of the U.S.S. Georgia being assaulted by waves and spray in a heavy storm.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words [annotation continued from previous post card] “…like this. It will appear as if the ship was plunging right into the mountain side and the front end of the ship will be completely under water before the ship can gradually rise up and be on top again.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the very top of the battleship U.S.S. Nebraska above the stormy waves of the China Sea.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “The masts on these battleships are 100ft high. Now you see here is one of the ocean waves between here and the Battleship Nebraska, so high that you can only see the top of the masts.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the U.S.S. Louisiana among the waves of the China Sea.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This shows another one of the battleships as it is riding on the side of one of the swells of the ocean.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the tops of the U.S.S. Rhode Island’s masts above the stormy waves of the China Sea.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Another one showing the Rhode Island beyond the mountain. Sometimes accidents occur in these storms and men are swept overboard by the mighty waves coming over the ship. One accident which ended remarkably fortunate and like no other case on record was when a man fell overboard during this storm, from one of the battleships and the waves carried him back and threw him on board the ship behind, he was saved and uninjured.

This storm lasted three days and then began to quiet down so that the last day of our trip to Japan was an enjoyable day and our visit to Japan was indeed one of pleasure. The Japanese as you see them in their home country are as hospitable and courteous people as you will find in the whole world and the welcome that they gave the American Fleet in 1908 has never been surpassed. We were treated with respect and courtesy and a welcome as if we were to be President the next day. Their homes were open to us and they spared no pains to make us feel welcome and enjoy our visit to their country.”