St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-10-26
On Torpedo Boat During the War.

On a I0rped0-B0at during the war.
When the U. S. torpedo-boat Porter
started across to Havana on April 22d,
it was rough-rough even for the Gulf
Stream-and that day and night showed
that the life on board was going to be a
struggle with nature a test Of physical
endurance. The Porters motion in such
sharp sea as runs nearly all the time
off the coast OF Cuba was. to say the
least. uncomfortable. The roll was from
thirty to forty-fve degrees each way,
and twenty-five times minute, with oc-
casionally an extra roll thrown in,
which went beyond the registering limit
OF the indicators, and made one wonder
why the boat took the trouble to come
back, il seemed so much easier just to 60
on all the way around.
To rest and sleep in such conditions
was very difficult, and only possible
when physical exhaustion overcame
every other feeling, and then the sleep
was so broken that it untitled one to re.
new the exacting duties OF handling the
delicate mechanisms of the boats, or
exercise the cool judgement and instant
decision demanded by the service.
The discomforts and the trials borne
by the crews OF these little craft during
this period will never be known, nor
could be appreciated by any persons but
those who were in the service. Some
idea Of them can be CLEANED from the
article on "Torpedo.boat Service" that
Lieutenant ]. c. Fremont, U. SN. COM
manding the Porter. contributes to Har.
per's Magazine for November.
In addition to the other sufferngs OF
the men, the heat below deck was such
that no one went there except on duty.
The life was on deck; those on duty at
their posts were on their feet; the re-
rnainder, if not struggling with their
very simple meals, were trying to get
some sleep, stretched out and wedged in
between torpedo-tubes and rails, or in
some place that prevented their sliding
around. Such was the life on board
when the lack Of preparedness at the
opening of the war necessitated the use
OF torpedo-boats for anything and every.
thing except legitimate torpedo-boat
service. And when proper vessels to per-
form the duties to which the torpedo
fleet had been diverted were provided it
was too late. But although the boats
were worn out by the arduous service
they had been through. both the boats
and their crews had established records
Tor endurance which excited the admira-
ton OF foreign experts in such matters.
In describing the lie on shore the ablest
correspondents in thecountry have worn
out lead pencils most industriously, and
I'M IF he
has been Frederic Remington, who de-
scribes and illustrates the life with the
Fifth Corps in Harper's Magazine for
November. He is as yet unable to de-
eide which is the housekeeping in a
mud-puddle, being confined on troop
ship, or shot at. They are all irritating,
and when done on an empty stomach,
with the object of improving ones mind,
they are extravagantly expensive; but
as they satisfied life of longing to see
men do the greatest thing men are called
upon to do, he is content. He thinks the
direct and only cause Of all the privation
and delay which became so notable in
Skaters operations was due to the fact
that the command was sent into the
field without the proper ratio of pack
mules. Before San Juan Hill the men
were on half rations on account OF lack
of supplies, and were out of tobacco,
which is very necessary to the well-beiug
OF soldier.
Towards the end of the fight, when he
was going to the rear, the sight of the
road was indescrlbable. All the broken
splints, bloody bodies, hopeless, helpless
suffering, which drags its weary length
to the rear, are so much more appalling
than anything else in the world that
words do not mean anything to one who
has not seen it. Men half naked, men
sitting down on the roadside utterly
spent, men hopping on one foot with
rife for a crutch, men out of their minds
from sunstroke, men dead, and men dy-
ing. The story of the bravery, patience,
and fortitude of our men is admirably
illustrated and described in Mr.. Reming-
tons ticle.