The National tribune., 1896-10-01

| line Of soldiers swayed hack and forth, bulg-
| ing ont or the reverse. The soldiers seemed to
keep in good humor, and their tactics seemed
to stamp the toes Of the mob with the butt
of their guns, except when any Of them
showed fight, when the application was
changed. We lowered in the rear waiting
| to get gun, for our inactivity was worse
than fighting. The mob was handicapped
by the ice which made stones and other
street missiles not available. They fell back
from the front of the soldiers, but the truce
was not lasting. The fanatics were at work.
Drive the Irish papists into the bay"
| and the mob forgot us at the raising OF the
| old Orange war-cry. Smarting under their
defeat, their vengeance was turned on the
soldiers, whom they rightfully accused OF
| baking their sport of numbering us.
"Ground arms! Of with your overcoats!
Take arms! Fix bayonets!"
The red-coats were in fighting trim. One
soldier fell in the ranks.
"Forward-the guides r!-Double-
quick !-Charge bayonets!-March!"
With an Irish cheer the 18th went at
them. In one minutes time not one Of the
mob standing was in sight. They were
swept off the street like whirlwind, and
the soldiers marched back to their Overcoats
and post.
"'Twas fine thing for us them soldiers
was Irish, remarked Deane.
you've hit her, fore and aft, Jack. l
never thought solder good for anything
before. But, as my old pap says, There Is
use for darned skunk if you could only
find out what"
Gardeners view, regret to say, was one of
the forecastle's opinions musty from tradi-
ton and long belief; like other opinions
uoI QUa
to hold it up. But many a gallant marine
has sore reason to regret that other men in
the same service, on the same vessel, cared
no more for the limb or life Of a sea soldier,
or land one either, than for ball of marlin
stuff.
The Lieutenant returned from his visit to
the citadel, and, after a cordial farewell to the
commander of the 18th, we stood up by
command Of the Midshipman, and gave
three navy cheers for the red-coats, and,
dropping our oars in the row-locks, were
| soon aboard of our ship.
Immediate preparations were made for
| firing salute in honor of the English flag,
as the galley news grapevined from the
ward-room by tie officers servants said was
part Of the demand for breach OF neutrality.
To understand the finale, it is proper to
| say that 81 guns is National salute. The
Executive Officer was determined to give the
| full hOnOrs with vengeance, and TO use the
13-inch Columbiads on our gun deck to do it.
| Seventeen and one-half pounds of powder
was a full-distance charge for each gun.
| Twenty of those immense guns, mounted on
| pivot carriages, made up our gun-deck
battery.
The crew for two guns were picked out,
and quarter-gunner acted as Captain of the
Guns. After the full charge was rammed
| home grummet or wad was driven home
by half-dOzen strokes Of the rammer, with
| the full force of two Of the most muscular
| men in the crew. Carrying a Hedge out on
our port-quarter, we warped the ship broad
side onto the city, guns elevated. ports
thrown open, everything ready fore and aft.
The guns are fired at 15-seconds intervals,
| and at the report of the first gun up went
the British flag to our main-truck, and the
lower rigging of the Englishmen swarmed
with the bluejackets of their fleet. Bang!
bang! at intervals went the big guns, and
the ship in few moments was enveioped in
smoke, whilst all glass in lights on board
went in fragments at the first discharge.
Halifax will be fine place for glass
mandatory after we're DONE" said the
| gunner.
The salute is ended, !" reported the officer
in charge of the guns.
"All right, Sir. Secure your guns! All
hands up! Anchor ahoy!"
AS soon as she was tripped our ponderous
engine commenced to work, and, heading
through the English fleet, with the little
Ella following, we were soon passing be-
tween the forts at the entrance, and feeling
| the heave and swell of the broad Atlantic,
taking onr course under steam with jibs and
topsails, we were homeward bound.
1t was months after when we learned the
effects of our salute of the English flag, but
we had close guess how it turned out.
There was not a pane of glass in church,
house, ship, or citadel left unbroken when
we were done, and, to say the least, it was
doubtful honor to pay an individual when
it took his clothes, money, and other valu-
ables to heal the Offense to his exalted
worth and standing.
After clearing the British waters we had
to depend on sail alone, as we could get no
coal in Halifax, and after beating up against
head wipds we made Sandy Hook in seven
days. There Government tug took us in
hand and dropped rs at the Brooklyn Navy
yard. TwO-thirds of the crew were suffer-
ing from frost-bites some serious. The bal
ance were drafted on the Hartford, Farragut's
flagship, and in less than one week we were
sweltering in the heat of the West Indies
and all our cold and hardships rene m bered
as If only dream.-JoHN BROGAN, Bloom
ington, Ind.
|
urHuY