New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
THE DESTROYER.


rier of hills, the SHINING harpof fcacnos siiooln
as glass in the morning sun; and under the hills
lie the chcckered black ard White huN' OF the
old wooden warships the reverend memorials
of many great fights whose noise mas lohg since
died upon the sea. There in the quiet haven,
lie the veterans their warfare accomplishing;
now, they are come to be the nurseries OF the
mariners who serve the fleets OF the ne" navy
And here, moored beside the wharf, Is IRE.
now warshp of the Queen; long, low vessel
belching smoke from her three coIpu'cht Iun'
neIs he- whole eager fabric throDblng with
nent irr ,sistibe energy. She is black from stem
- storn cave for n scarlet streak showing above
tho water-line; tunnels, single mast. cowled ven.
tilators great and little, boats SUNG 10 davts-
all are black. Piled upon the Viora'ns uecNs
are bags of glistening, hand-picked coal and
canisttr rs OF oil some THIRTY men-stoKerS en-
rine-room artfcers, ard bluejackets- smoking
and talking, await the order, 10 qua'eEsi
while the roar OF steam rushlng through lne
safety valves browns the multitudinous ciatter
Of the dockyard. For the new torpeuo-ooat
DESTROYER Is going upon her maiden speed 'rid
A couplc of men paddle around the snip IN .
dingv sweeping her water-line clean from the
last particle Of harbor scum AZ an otuer tne
men on deck vanish below; the neutehahT
mounting his little conning-tower IN tle lows,
s,ande beside the coxswain, and bells ring IN
the engine room. The destroyer moves aslerh,
swings slowly about, and glides across the ran
auil harbor, past the busy wharVes lhe huge
open sheds the tangle of masts, ropes ana lun-
nes and the square brick offices or the 1ocK'
yard. and on. with long, easy iholIo", 900 tle
piled congeries OF old, red houses the port
water - 49,.
Again the bells ring in the engine-room. where
the needle of the GEOGRAPHICAL points 10 fuu
speed ahead" and an intense, rattIIhs 'iD'duon
seizcs and shakes the long ship IKE an asue,
long foam-lipped wave curls siah'"ise nun neI
bows: astern, a fountain or roam Iaps apoEs
the gllnwale and streams away In ian-shapeo
lather swiftly subsiding 10 a White PAIN Secln'
ing on the waters. The three tunnels pe'ch VOL
umcs OF brown smoke that trails away 10 lee
ward in n vast and rolling cloud. casting a shad.
he
fro on deck must struggle against the WING OF
her going; while on the distant shdIhS shore
languid pillars OF smoke are rising mere ana
there into the Silly air But. not yet does me
official test OF speed begin FOR the engines must
race for half an hour or more In order 10 loucn
their full momentum. -.
Nv that time the mourning smoke is laced with
red flame the stern sucks down until the hooded
black venilators which crowd the hush decN'
white reflection shining upon each, seem runh.n87
uphill to the bows The Singing spray i ny ing
like a shower of pebbles. and the masthead
Quivers ike whip with the tremendous FInra-
ton. Down In the cngine-room there relehs
rhattcring. cataClysmic uproar; the indicating
needles are all a-Quiver upon the brasS-rlnfned
dials the artiflcers. grease from head TO 1901
siuce oil and water upon the bearings uhui
the frantic engines race and hammer IN o.ihd-
ing mist And down in the stokehold. into when
the air IL driven by whirling fans. the stoken
sweat I'm a storm of cOaldust with trained
fury Of energy the Grlmy men In goggles never
cease from hcaving coal into the white-hot iur-
naccs. rakng and goadng. with the long IRON
slices the intolerable fires
The first white buoy that marks the measured
mile is reached. the two corresponding poles SCI
up ashore twinkle one behind another. and are
left far as,crn in an instant-the second buoy IS
passed the second pair OF poles merge Into
one for a moment and Thirty poin, four-eieht-
four" gays tho contractors engineer. stop-watch
~ hand. complac"ntly. He means that the &C.
stroyer is travelling a fraction under thirty and
oue-half knots or about thirty-iive miles. In the
hour
And thereafter. for three hours, the swift and
mighty little monster ~ destruction Is tearing
through the water at top speed, until the thrill
ing throbhng jar is lit to shake her in pie s;
the tunnels are pillars Of sea salt, and coninu.
ally out 81 the heart OF that crashing turmoil
there cangs a boding note Of imminent disaster.
At last the hour Strlk"s-the trial IS done
the tunnels cease to vomit smoke and The
racked and stranng vessel. released from that
demoniac COmpulsion, swims suddenly In
blessed peace So the destroyer glides home
ward easily as swallow, and f,tches UP at
the quay The chill spring twilight Is falling,
and the dockyard matcys are all troopng home.
Equipped with the insdous torpedo armed
with six quick firing guns and outstriiiinS any
craft afoat the destroyer holds pace in The
vanguard OF the armies of the sea.
stand upon her leaping decks and behold. be-
yond the smoke and flame Of her devourng
breath. the quiet shore receding into the gray
sky. and consider the millions Of staid house
because the Queens ships keep the seas. The
man OF business goes 10 and fro, fatters. and
prospcrs: tho workman drinks his beer. The
artist divcrts himself, each after his kind the
politician packs his cards, while tho pious bels
ring every day. and the gentle cCclcsiaStic be-
slows abroad his benehcent emotions. So all
runs in an ordered round; because the Queens
chi fh.. and rrpNy