Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1902 — From the Philippines. [ARTICLE]

From the Philippines.

Eph Hickman, in writing to bis parents from Camp Vicars, Mind., P. 1., under date of Aug. 23rd, among other things, says: “I am well and hearty. We are nearly all scared to death here, for we don’t know what minute we are going to be swallowed up by au earthquake, whioh first occurred August 21st. The shock was so great that it threw us all over the ground. We just couldn’t stand up, and It threw the horses all down too, and the houses, where there were any. There are big craoks all around us in the ground big enough to let a man fall in, and even the tops of the mountains are shaken off, causing great land slides. I haven’t heard yet whether there were any lives lost. Mother did you ever feel an earthquake that would throw you down? If you haven’t you don’t have the least idea how one feels. It has made me so homesick I don’t know what to do with myself. It has lasted nearly 48 hours now and there have been as many as a hundred different shocks but none of them as bad as the first one. Ido hope it is over for I don’t want to feel any more of them. My oh my bat they are dreadftil. It makes

me aiek to think of that first shook, The last one occurred about a half hour ago, but not very hard—just hard enough to make one take a step. They say it is to laßt three days and I guess it is for it has been two days since it started, and that means another day yet to suffer. It is the worst experience a person ever witnessed. I would rather face anything else in the world than fire or an earthquake, for an earthquake can’t be seen, and therefore you have no ohance to get away. What I mean by ‘fire’ is an eruption of a volcano and that is what some are looking for. now. Mother if ever I get out of this oountry alive and baok to Amerioa again I will surely be contented to stay in that place the rest of my life for this kind of experience don’t suit me at all. I think I have had the greatest experience among mdn Id war, tornadoes and earthquakes, but the earthquake is the worst of ail. I have been scared lots of times in my life before but I never was scared so bad as I was on the evening of the2lst of August, 1902, for I was scared so bad I couldn’t stand up nor rest any way but I got over it in about two hours but when I lay down and make a move I think it is an earthquake. There was a Bhock just now. Notice that mark in the word move. I would like to be able to tell you bow it feels but I can’t. My first thought was ‘mother’ and all the rest, for I thought I was gone sure. Well I’ll change the subjeot although I dont know very much, as there'isn’fe anything on my mind but earthquakes* Well it is raining at present, just started since I began this letter and it looks like it was going to keep it up all day too. Yes, I guess there is going to be another campaign as the Moros refuse to surrender and there will be trouble. (Another shock just occurred. That makes two since I started this letter.) As we are preparing for It I think we will start next week and I will let you know about it afterwards.”