The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-27
LIFE ON A SHIP OF WAR
AN EXCERPT FROM THE LETTERS
OF AN INDIANAPOLIS BOY.
TOrpedO Boat Creeping Up on the
U. 5. S. Massachusetts-A Descrip-
ton of n Storm.

A letter dated at Tompkinsvile Staten
island has been received in this city from
an Indianapolis boy who is on board the
United States ship Massachusetts, and the
following excerpt is an interesting bit:
I'VE had drill the other night with the
Cushing She stood off and tried to sneak
on US. We had four search lights going,
and fired a red rocket when we found her
She answered with a red one and fired a
green rocket for torpedo. We caught her
once at 700 yards and once at $50 yards.
Both times she fired three torpedoes, or,
rather, the green rockets, which stand Tor
them If the ships had actually been in ac-
ton she would have caught us Doth times.
The Gushing makes twenty-siX knots an
hour, knot being a mile and one-eighth.
Imagine trying to hit a mark so small and
indistinct as she is going at that rate. The
night was very dark. She is painted black,
and the only thing we could discover with
the search light (She showed no lights her
self, of courSe) was the wave she left be-
hind her and the foam churned up by her
screw. A torpedo boat might disable u.s.
but it couldn't sink u.s. The Massachusetts
is really two ships, built one inside the
vided into water-tight compartments, and
the inner huh has no communication with
the outer except by going on deck and go
ing down through the hatchway, SO. you
see, If the outer hull were blown clear off
she would float and fight.
Nv hen fellow gets the ship habit he
doesn't care for anything but to lean over
the side and watch the water. Women
couldn't live this life unless the ship were
in my hammock at night, sixty hammocks
swing, and when l want bath it is
down decks 1 have been caught a dozen
times changing my clothes by lady visitors
who We're looking around the ship. There
is absolutely no place in the ship that is
private except the Captains and the exec
utive officers cabins. Even the navigator
third in rank has to double up.
From what | hear now | am afraid we
will sail before | can send this ashore
Have just been off on duty to the Constel-
lation, the school ship here, and learned
that we sail at 1870, JOIN the fleet off Block
island at p. m. and go to the southern
drill ground, off the Jersey coast, for ma
THE last boat has been ashore, and we
are at sea. We have fooled. around all
day. Tonight sleep rocked in the cradle
of the deep. The Connecticut and Rhode
Island coast is going out of sight and Block
island is getting dim. We couldn't see
she lay out far on account of deep water.
:. "A storm at sea; Do you. know what
to you the one we weathered coming down
to Staten island. In the fleet here now
are the New York: Maine, Indiana, Co
Massachusetts. went on coast at d. m.
The fog was so thick one couldn't see any
OF the other ships, nor any ligh s. In the
lonesome dark the ships bell vent dong
dong, dong, like the bell in the graveyard
when a funeral is passing in, and then
the whistle would shrek as at a massacre
of souls: Yet more dismal sounded the
other ships bells, coming from the empty
dark Very soon the thunder and light
ming began, the rain whipping down in
keen gusts. 1t was a regular summer
storm. Directly the wilma blew the fog
away the clouds showing black blots in
a dark-blue sky and through the thresh-
ing rain the stacks and masts of the fleet
appeared dim and soider-webby. A blast
of wind would bend the ships down till it
seemed they would never right themselves
but up they came again, and a perfect
ripper of a gust would set them to tossing
their yardarms in wild gesticulations. just
when it was bluest and blacklist pfstl il
was bright as glory, and one had glimpse
of the wave-tops, white with foam, plung-
ing about away off yonder in the storm, and
the white ships snowy Ia the sudden light
In a second il was dark as sin again and
the thunder let go with an awful crash
and went rumbling, grumbling, tumbling
down to the other side of the world. Then
the sun, rifting through the clouds when
it all over.
THE sea doesn't rise very high when a
hard rain is beating on ii, but it gets UP
masnificently and stays a long time after
the storm No one could adequately de-
scribe the sunrise that next morning--the
effect of the red on an ocean of blood the
thousand different tints OF the sky and
clouds. the smell of the air the padding
around deck in the early morning bare
footed. the appetite for breakfast-who
could be content to be a iancsman? | wish
you could stand on deck with me now. 1t
is a beautiful moonlight night the moon
is gloriously full, not a cloud in the sky
The bay, just in a ripple. shows a broad
band of silver light. narrow near the ship,
Long island coast till It is lost in the shad-
ow of the island. which rises a long, dark
shade, spotted with a million lights
Around the white ships CLEAN ghostiy in
the moonlight. The bridge away up yon-
der appears an arc of light The Liberty
grim shade, holds up her light but her
outlines lost in the opacity behind
She makes only a darker shadow on that
behind her. Jersey City and New York are
in the shade. They glow like coke ovens,
but only the tailcst buildings can be seen
against the clear violet sky. Staten island
is IN the moonlight Tompkirsville showing
up so one can see the names on the build
ings. The bay is dotted with sail boats
row boats, naphtha launches and steamers
looks big enough to carry all the oil In
the world, and austerely solemn and state
iy as she stands away toward the ocean
with only two or three points of light Wis
ible. not soul in sight. not sound ex-
cept the wash of the water at her bow
, and the escaping of water and steam al
her, hawse pipe. Lights out. so good
night