Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-08-19
pswErs GREAT GOODNESS.
An Interesting Incident ia the Career Of
the Hero OF Manila.

| the nero OF NtuunAs
A good story is told'of Commodore
George Dewey, which illustrates not
only his GOODNESS and judgment in O
moment Of peril, but also the high re-
gard in which he is held by the men
under his command. II was during
the spring OF 1887, when Commodore
Dewey, then captain, had command
OF the flagship Pensacola, a sailing
vessel, in the Mediterranean. While
en- route from Athens to the coast OF
Spain the vessel encountered series
OF short but violent squalls, which not
only greatly retarded her progress, but
proved intensely wearing on the crew.
One night, when the inconsistency
OF the weather was particularly annoy.
ing, the officer Of the watch happened
TO be a young lieutenant who was very
unpopular with the men, being what
is termed in the nautical vernacular
'bucko." Several times during the
watch all hands had been called to
shorten sail, and they were naturally
very much exhausted from racing
back and forth from the decks to the
upper rigging. Finally the order was
again given to make sail, and the
tired sailors set about TO put II into
execution. But, after the work had
been accomplished and all hands had
come down from aloft, IL occurred to
the officer that the men had not
exhibited sufficient alacrity to suit
him, and, advancing to the break of
the poop, speaking-trumpet in hand,
he Numbered n torrent OF epithets at
the crew, following il up with an order
10 lay aloft and go through the tactics
of shortening sail by way of drill. I'm
fortunately, however, he had failed to
reckon upon the Unborn spirit of the
American sailors, and right here their
forbearance forsook them, and not
man of their number made q move
ment to execute the overbearing OF.
der. Wildly aourishing his trumpet,
the now frenzied martinez threatened
and cursed aud stormed, but to no
avail. The blood of the crew was up,
aud they cursed back, ridiculed,
laughed him to scorn. Suddenly the
sea and sky were seen to grow darker
to windward, and it was clear that
another squall was imminent.
Alive to the danger to which the
ship, with all her canvas spread, was
exposed, the lieutenant retreated from
his threatening attitude and urged,
entreated, implored the men to save
the vessel but in vain-they had
been driven to sheer desperation and
only scoffed at him the more. Onward
came the tempest, its ferceness fore
told by the livid shafts OF lightning
which repeatedly flashed from its inky
depths. The lieutenant, in despair,
had sunk TO his knees, with his face
in his hands, awaiting the inevitable
doom. Suddenly from out the cabin
companionway form emerged. II
was the captain. In an instant his
glance had taken in all-the approach
ing storm, the defiant crew, the sup
plant officer, the tapping sails, and
then, clear and loud, rang out his
order: "All hands shorten sailr'
That was all, but it was sufficient. Be-
fore the last word of that command
had been uttered the rigging was full
Of flying sailors, cheering their captain
as they sped to their task, and in
.winkling every foot of canvas had
bees slowed, and the ship was placed
under bare poles Even before they
could regain the decks the gale burst
upon the vessel, demonstrating only
too forcibly the fate another moments
delay would have hurled upon her.
When the shock had passed and the
crew had assembled in readiness to
obey the next order, Captain Dewey
addressed his first words TO the Off.
Ger of the deck. SEQ to your ROOM"
he said. Then, turning to the crew,
he commanded, without the least sus-
picion OF rebuke in his tones: BOAT.
swain, pipe downp'-St Louis Globe
Democrat.