The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22

They had the range to a nicetv, and they
looked right down on Our decks,
And in half an hour, or little more, the Pos
sum and we were wrecks;
A shot took Cap'en Rason, cuttin' i'm clean
in two
(And no wonder. sir, for he stood there right
full in the enemy's view.
And another struck a soldier, M'Kenna was
his name,
"A capen he was in the Royals-and served
him just the same.
The Adm raj he was wounded likewise the
second master,
And, as the afternoon wore on, the men fell
One shot most cleared our for'ard gun of all
Its proper crew,
And Others tore great holes in US, and cut our
cables through:
That's why we drlfted down a bit-it wasn't
for loss of pluck
There wasn't man on board US but cursed
our evil luck.
We drifted, steerin' as we could, until the
muddy tide
Carried US down the Cormorant, and we
dashed to her star5oard side
We were not out OF range-no fear,-and we
KEEP on urin hard.
For our tow-guns cleared the Cormorant's
bows, though only by yard:
But they took the Adm raj out of Is, he bein'
And board US there wasn't comfort nor quiet
to be had.
I'm tellin how the Plover Jared. but won't
forget he rest,
For evnry single craft engaged did just as
much her best;
The Lee and KrestreI, sadly maule1 we're
sunk by the Chinese shot;
And the 'Possam was ordered where the fire
was not so hot;
Yet the action hadn't slackened much, ex-
cept on the Chinese side.
And it looked as II a victory might even then
betide.
At half past four, or whereabouts, as near as
could learn,
A double banked cutter came 'longside, with
the Stars and stripes at the stern,
Flag orticer ANAL, burly and tanned, was
sittin', as usual. aft
And behind him sat his cox en-, my pal OF the
'Meriean craft.
They came TO oar starboard gangway. and,
just as they happened to come,
Blowed II some Chinese gunner dldn manage
to hull my cham.
1 thought to myself: why neutral folks, as
hasn't no business here,
Should be pullin' ABOUT in this storm OF shot
is point as ism I clear"
But, when old a tpall elm bed on board, and
/ heard what he'd to say,
/ began to look at the pullin about in
different kind of way
For he asked them TO take him to Adm raj
HoEe (which, in course, our orticers
soon did,
And he said as he trusted he might be
of use in removin' and tendin the
wounded.
He crossed our deck to the Cormorant, where
our Admirals flag was tiyin
And he left his cutter full OF men alongside
idly lynn;
And saw the 'Mericans' eyes on US, as we
loaded and and tired as commanded
eve were tit TO drop from WEAKNESS, besides
betn' so short-handed);
And one says: Bill, while we sets down here
we does what we didn't oughter:
l m going TO help them Dlokes up there, for
blood is thicker than wafer"
So first that one, and then some more, slipped
shyly aboard the Plover,
And did a ioD for the dear old flag as was
BLOWN out ragged above her
They didn say much, and they made no fuss
and Isearce know how IL was done,
But upon my word, an Amer can crew was
presently workin our gun:
And so we rested a.welcome spell till Tattnall,
comm agen,
Called out, Win a roRuish look in his eyes
Ibis ain neutrality mem"
He'd heen 10 yarn with Admiral Hope. and
he said there something too
Bout nlood bsln thicker than water; and. no
doubt. he'd liked 10 60
What his cat lrew did without ashin', II
only he felt so free
mean. TO have slam with as az the yallow.
faced lhinee-
But ia course, II wouldn't have been the
thing, and he couldn DO less than say
Come, come, my men, you must quit that
gun" In mock Indignant way