The morning call., 1893-06-26
STORIES OF A NEW CRUISER.
How Captain Philip Was Instructed
by an Army Officer.


During the trial trip Of the warship New
York some good stories of the new naval tfier
were told by the officers. CAPTAIN Philip said
That about six mouths ago, while the ship was
III dock at Philadelphia, he was standing on
the upper deck aud supervising some work.
Two weil-dressed men came along and one be-
gan to explain 10 the other the use of the yari-
Gus appliances of the vessel Now, CAPTAIN
Phliip ls portly man. with a big, good
hunored lace and does not IN the least look
like naval officer when in ''undress." So The
visitors evidently TOOK him 10 be some uD I'M
poTtant landsman, The stranger, who was
showing OF his maritime knowledge" I"
pointed out the hammock MEETINGS, and ex-
planned With great solemnity that they were
the aimor OF The ship, behind which the
crew sheltered themselves when they went
Into battle: This astonishing statement al
most took the CAPTAINS b! cath away But more
was TO come. The guide. laying his hand on
one OF the immense ventilatng pipes by which
fresh air Is conducted so the boiler
rooms below, said, with an air of i'm
portance: This IS the smokestacE." This
was more than Captain Philip who is a most
anable man. and who hates 10 have American
citizens make mistakes, could stand. He D.
preached the pair and in a courteous manner
informed them of the true names aud purposes
OF tile hammock netting aud The ventilator.
The stranger drew himself up with great pride
and said l0ftiiy:
Il don't know who you are. sir, but / am
CAPTAIN Black OF the army. and 1 ought 10 be
able 10 tell smokestack when l see it.'
You certainly Should answered Captain
Philip, turning away. And now he says that If
he should hear a man tell another that an
9-lneh riled cannon was potato masher for
the crew he would not correct him, but let b i'm
go his way in ignorance.
One of the stories OF the trip was a fishing in
ctdent, in which Lieutenant Mason, the execu-
tive offlcer TO be- figured as hero. There had
been some pretty good sport fishing from the
rail while the ship was al anchor off
Boston light, and the gallant lieutenant,
though not at all an expert in the
n try
Ing his hand. line, hook and bait were
procured and the lieutenant hshed industri-
ously all one forenoon. But the most ferocious
OF bites, which almost made his heart stop
beating with excitement. only resulted
In the capture OF SO many grin
ming scnpins, and the lieutenant was
officers resolved 10 reward such unwearying
patience as he had displayed and waited until
he had gone down to lunch, leaving his line
fastened to the rail. With conSiderate fore
thought the conspiratorS had been TO the cook s
domain and had secured an enormous Goldfish,
from whose anatomy all tile bony structure had
been removed. The fish hung limp as the flag
on the city hall Oh a quiet August afternoon,
but he was eXpeditiOuSiy al ached TO the
hook and the line let down into the Atlaltic's
bosom as before. Presently Lieutenant
from the companionway. The plot
ters concealed themselves in the vcn-
ity and watched with all their eyes. The
lieutenant united The line and gave IL tenta-
tive twitch. There was an unusual resistance.
The outgoing tide made the object on tile end
pull and jerk as if alive. The lieutenant pulled
and pulled, his eyes growing bigger and bigger
every moment. Pride. joy and astonisbment
were depicted on his c0untenance as he lifted
the eocfish over The rail.
Hi, Iherr Smith Jones Robinson !'' he
yelled. The gentlemen came from their hiding
places with astonishing alacrity. their faces
radiant with miith. Then the lieutenant, whit
is really clever fellow, saw it all 1t is need
less TO say that after the run, when the store
room was broached, lie amply satisfied the OBJ
legations OF the situation.