Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-07-18
IRREGULARITIES or SAILORS.
Admiral Erben TclIs Some Good
stories Of the Old Salts.

PGCUIIAHIVveS W SAvIOWSs
Admiral Erben Tells Come Good
stories Of the Old salts.
At the latest Of those storytelling
evenings, which are chief feature Of
the Aldine Club. Admiral Erben was
persuaded to relate few incidents.
The bluff old seaman, who carries the
blush from Neptune's kiss In his bronz.
ed cheek" rose and was greeted in right
royal fashion. He said that after hs
had accepted the invitation Of the club
he had been asked II he would not re-
late some incidents Of the sea, or, as
they say on board ship. spin yarn"
He wished 1t understood In advance
that the old-time sailor Of whom Mar
ryat wrote Ii fast passing away. In
fact, he had about disappeared from
the sea. But sailors had always been
loyal. Jack had always been true to
his ship, true to his officers, no matter
what might come. He had known sail.
ors, when a court-martia was about
TO be held, to 90 to their officers and ask
for exact Information as to what they
were to testify.
This led him to recall that in the war
big dry dock lying at Pensacola Ind
broken from her m0orings and fOated
down the bay. only to strnnd under
the guns Of Fort Pickett. A boats crew
Of sailors were at hand to assist the
army people, and finally 1t was decided,
inusmuch as the dry dock could not be
recovered, to send out and set her on
fire. The boats crew Of twelve men
and a cOxswain were assigned to this
duty. ''They did their work, and al.
though my own vessel was seventy.
three miles out to sea-" said the Ad-
miral, "yOu could almost see to read by
the light of the fire. An inquiry was
Instituted. After the men had set the
dock on fire they rowcd away, and, Of
course, the crew had their eyes turned
on the burning dock. Yet when they
were called up to give evidence and
were asked. Did you see any lighty'
they answered, NO, sirr
"Whcn I was In London last year"
the Admiral continued, when the laugh
had subsidized, 1--WE were well treated.
The theater people were very kind 10
us. sending tickets and telling Us that
our men would have the entree Of any
thcatcr Mt any time. so Jack went to
every theatcr In London and enjoy Cd
himself. One night, with n party Of
friends, I went to tho Royal opera. W.
were hardly seated In our box when
one Of the ladies' looked down into the
stalls ard said: why, Admiral, the:C
are some Of your men here I said
thought not, for none Of them would
want to sit out a performance Of Yer
DIS 'Falstaff.' But looked down. and
sure enough there were three Of Eiy
men. and they stayed the performance
through. The next dry called up tina,
hickory.faccd old bOatswain's mate
ana asked him how he liked the opc,H
Well he said, Admiral. you couldn',
leave till the Prince Of Wales left, and
couldn't leave till you did. and ",
stayed It OUT"
BY this time the Admiral hnd gOt
warmed up to his work. aud he toll
still another yarn on the late Admlyn
Gregory, when tho latter was captain
In tho navy. The latter was serving
In European waters and had taken his
ship Into Malta, where q British shll
was lying. The idea Of hospitality II
those days was to entertain man rntl
either host or guest went under Tho
table, ana the work was not considered
well done until this had been accom-
plishcd. They kept changing the Oil
GERS on Capt. Gregory when he went Il
call tho English officers, and seeing tina
he would not be able to stand tho strait
Of tho brandy tho American quiet!
raised his glass and let the liquor Iowi
inside his Old.fashloned stock necktia
He kept this up until the British cap
tain was taken to bed by his steward
Then Capt. Gregory called for q frcsl
bottle Of brandy, took another, smoke,
a pipe, went ON deck, talked with tn
officer Of the watch and was rowe,
back to his ship. The next day whel
tho Englishman awoke he called tn
officer Of tho watch and asked ..ih
when Capt. Gregory loft tho ship. Tol,
the hour, he said: "Well, was he screw
cdY"--a nautical term Of a ,,cculia
condition. He was told that the Amer
lean was sober. Then he sought hi
cabin steward, and asked the sam
question. mo, sir" remarked tho stew
ard. "he was all right. but I never dl'
SEQ man sweat a. he did, sir."-Ncv
York Tribune.