Many of the sailors of the cruise had photo albums, scrapbooks, and logs of their experiences.  Michael Hadlick Jr., a private in the Marine Corps had a log with a few newspaper articles.  Private Hadlick had a difficult time while serving in the Marine Corps.  His time while assigned to the Battleship Connecticut was primarily onboard the ship, literally.  Private Hadlick was a "liberty risk" and worse yet, did not seem to learn from his mistakes.  At this period in the Navy, sailors were assigned a "class" rating for going ashore based on previous behavior while on liberty, 1st class being the best, 4th class being the worst.  On February 23rd, 1907, while the ship was inport in New York, well before the cruise around the world, Private Hadlick returned 45-1/2 hours late from liberty.  In his log he notes, "Got liberty and overstayed my leave 45-1/2 hours.  Got 4th Class."  In October, this time in Brooklyn, New York,  "Broke my liberty thirty-seven hours.  Got 4th class and 18-hours extra duty."  And then, during the cruise, while in San Francisco, without mentioning how log he overstayed his liberty, "Got 4th class for 3 months."  This would mean that we would not go ashore for liberty for many of the best ports of the cruise.  Even when the three months were up, he certainly was not allowed to go on liberty in Yokohama.  To visit the entire log follow this link:  Private Hedlick

Log Entries

Dec 24 07 – Coaled ship.  Started at 8:15 am.  Got through at 9:45 pm.  940 tons aboard.  One man got hurt by a empty bag falling on him.

Dec 25 07 – Christmas spent at Trinidad, Port of Spain.  A liberty went ashore at 10:30 am and return at 10 pm.  Had mid watch.

Dec 26 07 – The Second Squadron coal ship.  It was awful hot.  Liberty party went ashore at 10:00 am.

Dec 27 07 – Liberty Party left the ship at 10:00 am.  Return at 10:00 pm.

Dec 28 07 – Left Trinidad at 4 pm.  Delayed 8-hours waiting for the Maine to finish coaling.  Sunday afternoon it was a fine day and a very pretty sight going out.

Dec 30 07 – At noon 187 miles.  Sea rough and partly cloudy.

Dec 31 07 – At noon 211 miles. Sea rough, partly cloudy.  New Years Eve at 12 midnight.  16 bells was struck and all of the negros that could be found was painted white or white wash.  Some men were lashed in there hammocks, let down and all kinds of tricks played on them.  I was in lock had the mid-watch and got out of it.  All OK. For they were looking for me.

Jan 01 08 – Wednesday was spent at sea off the coast of South America.  It was a fine day but a little rough.  It was spent in playing cards as games and corking-off on the deck.  We had a fine turkey dinner.  Miles made at noon 246.

Jan 05 08 – Miles made at noon 228.  Seas rough.  Neptune Rex came aboard at 7:30 pm over the bow and visit.  The Captain and then visit the Chief-of-Staff.  We crossed the equator at 9:30 pm.

Jan 06 08 – At 8:45 am quarters was sounded and all fell in.  Neptune Rex and his party made a tour of the ship with the Band in the lead and then visit the Admiral on the quarter deck and made a small speech to the Admiral and his Staff.  And then marched forward where the fun took place.  Midshipman Sharpe was the first one to get his in the tank and everybody that didn’t cross the line before had to go through the performance and in the tank and if a man didn’t go up willing he was brought up by the cops that was going around the ship looking for the men that was trying to beat it.  I was one of them and got it in good shape.  They use paste, put it on with bug paint brushes on your face in the hair and big wooden razors o shave with.  And then dump a man over backwards in a big tank of water and six men in the tank would put you down three or four times before letting a man get out.  It was all kinds of sport.  It was a fun day.  Made at noon 215.  We crossed the equator.  On a Sunday Jan 5 08 and sport took place on Monday.  When we cross we were in Longitude 38 degrees 18 minutes 30 seconds W.

Jan 07 08 – Miles made at noon 209.  Weather was fine.

Jan 08 08 – Miles made at noon 237.  Weather fine.  Seas smooth.  The Ohio broke down at 8:15 am and had to slow down to eight-knots, but she got repair at 10:30 am and then we proceed at 10 knots.  We were in sight of the coast of Brazil all day.  1008 miles from Rio at noon.  We were off the wide point of Brazil 2200 miles east of New York and about four thousand miles South of New York.  At 8:30 am four men was sighted off the port side on a raft and a ship was sent over to where they were and found out that it was four fishermen and they were all right.  It is so hot today that the tar is boiling out of the decks.  It don’t take a man but a few minutes to get sun burned in the sun here.