The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-11

SIX strokes OF the DIX HfS ecAA Ai1Ase0
repeated changed out yesterday evening
| at O'Clock. and fifteen minutes later on
, the floor OF the Armory stood in marching
order two Seattle companies OF the Ma
tional Guard of Washington and the First
Regiment band, ready to take the field
| against any enemy OF the nation. within
or without the boundaries OF the state.
1t was the first emergency drul the Seattle
mii:tiamen. consisting of Companies b and
u OF the National Guard have had since
esq., was agreed upon as the signal which
should cali them 10 take the field. and
men responded to the signal s source
OF greatest satisfaction oto Brig. Gen.
Mcintyre. who arranged the test, as well
as to the officers and men of the COM
panies themselves.
Later in the evening the two companies,
laying aside their arms, marched to Piym-
outh Congregational church, where a spe-
cal sermon appropriate to the occasion
was delivered by Rev. W. II. G. Temple
for their benefit. The drill aroused much
enthusiasm and rivalry between the two
companies. and will be- rsp eated again
within a short time.
BY order Of Gen. Mcintyre. the men were
informed that the signal on the big fire
DELL would be given at ESQ o'clock. and as
result. they were in a measure UMPIRE
pared when the alarm was purposely
sounded half an hour earlier A squad Of
twenty men from Company d had just re-
turned from rifle practice on the range
near the city and were on the arrIlory floor
when the bell rang. They Immediately fell
in and in a moment were Joined by a num-
! others. lGstneinky
comfortable camping rooms upstairs,
A moment later. and the grand rush be-
gan. For 4 few minutes the crowd OF
young men. each striving TO be first TO
reach his uniform and rife fairly blocked
the entrance to the armory and the stairs
. leading to the company rooms. but order
was soon restored and twelve minutes af-
ter the bell tapped the first time Company
DIS first sergeant called the roll and fifty
two out OF sixty of the men enrolled re-
Sponded to their names. One minute later
and twenty members OF the First Regiment
band were ready TO take the field. and just
fifteen minutes after the signal was given
! Company BIS first sergeant reported that
thrty-five men ont of the fifty-five on his
roll book were present.
Capt. Frank Z. Adams. OF Company d,
and Capt. George Fl. Fortson. of Company
Il. then reported to Gen. Mcintyre the re-
suit ard the drill was over The band
marched TO quarters TO prepare for church.
The large attendance Of Company DIS
men was due TO the fact that the majority
of them live In the district surrounding the
armory and also to the fact that almost
one-half of the company was In the armory
b;siidng when the bell rang. Company BIS
showing was equally praiseworthy when 1t
IS considered that a great many of Its
members live In the suburbs OF the city.
Many OF them were unable to get to the
armory before the company was dismissed.
but attended church with the rest.
There were many interesting incidents
OF the drill. The signal was at once recog-
nized as not being an ordinary fire alarm
BY nearly every one who heard It, and the
first thought of the more tknid and lmag-
native was that the Vigilanses were being
| called out TO hang some one suspected OF
| the murder of Special Police Officer Rob
erts on the night before. Their suspicious
wer,. confirmed when excited young men
! began TO rush post haste on their way TO
! the armory Others who had been In
! formed wha. the signal meant jumped at
! the conclusion that the government had oe-
| cided 10 delay declaring war against spain
no longer. and that the sad hour OF part,
| ing with their militia boy friends had
/ come. These latter were. as rule. the
| fair friends of the citizen soldiers
AT Plymouth church the miiitiamen oe-
| cuped the larger half of the center sec
ton Of seats. aud every other seat In me
| edifice was filled In fact the demand fer
seata was SO great that esiafrs were
| placed in the ante-rooms. all the stand
| ing room taken and hundreds turned
away disappointed. Before the service
| opened brief programme OF sacred mu-
| sic was rendered by the First regiment
| band.
| Mr. Temple took as his text the WORDS
IL have given Him as a leader and COM
| .nander 10 the people Isaiah lxv:a. BY
| strange coincidence Mr.. Temple had
selected the text before Gen. Mcintyre
| informed him that the mt.itiamen would
/ attend church In "A body yesterday even
] Ing and il was not changed. although
az Mr. Temple said last night, the ser
| mon had 10 be altered considerably TO fit
| the occasion.
| Mr. Temple dealt plainly with the ques
| ton of threatened war with Spain IL
was wise, he said. while peace yet pre-
vailed. to prepare for the struggle mat
| might come. That was why the young
men in his congregation in soldiers ghrb
| we're making such active preparations
! on the other hand said Mr.. Temple, II
/ was Christian 20 de.ay the shedding OF
| human blood as long as was consistent
| with national honor.
There were two elements which had fig
| urrd In every war the nation had ever
| undertaken. Mr. Temple said. They were
4
| the ev!,s % a suffering people. In the
| case of Spain the destruction Of the oat-
| tieship Maine and her hundreds Of sailors
| under circumstances which made II prac-
| ticaliy Impossible 10 think that Spain had
not been directly or indirectly responsible.
| gave cause for just national resentment.
! and the horrible haTbarities pracs!ced ny
| Spain upon the i1ap.ess Cubans furnished
| the other element of desire TO relieve
, suffering. Just as IN the feveriSa days
| preceding the outbreak OF the civil war
| ire warlike sentiment ran nish. Tanned
| by resentment at Insult 10 The flag ~ the
. nation and desire TO free f,"sssro slaves
| from bondage 80 today again the war
| sentiment ran high. famed by just re
| sentiment ~ the loss of the Maine ans,
! desire 10 relieve the island OF Cuba
| II " 3Ssld not do TO plunge Into a war
! which the Other Christian nations % she
| earth would nos approve. but when al.
| means Of settlement other than by war
| had been exhausted. when Chrsstiansty
| could no longer approve Of delay. let the
| blow fall and every Christian nation Or