The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-06

A story of the Maine's Comma nder 1t
Mobile Ray.
New York Sun.


Few persons know that Capt Charles d.
Sigsbee, lately of the Maine, was one OF
the favored graduates from the naval
academy who took diploma and mounted
brand new frock coat one day, took ship
the next day for the Gulf, and month
later had the glory OF serving with Farra-
gut at Mobile bay. This story of him 10
told by fellow officer:
There were two of those youngsters OF
the class OF lS6i. who came TO the Gulf
squadron and were temporarily assigned
10 the Hartford. Farragut's flagship" he
said. They were w. s. Dana, since dead.
and Charles d. Sigs5ee I was an ensign
on FarTagutS staff. and was chiefly instru-
mental in bringing the two young officers
to the flagship. In preparing for the great
battle in Mobile bay Capt. Drayton. chief
of STAFF assigned duties to every eoul on
board. To Ensign Sigsbee was given COM
mand OF the forward powder division,
while my humble self received charge OF
the after powder division For the benefit
OF iandynen it might be we'll to say that
the oad-fashioned powder division consisted
OF lines of old men, boys people from the
sick bay. cooks, walters. etc. Their duty
was to pass powder and shell from the mag
azines TO the shell whips in the forward
and after matches to do ii as rapidly as
possible. and TO make as much noise In the
yelling of Hurry up Pass that along
Don't go TO sleep as 1t was possible for
human voices in varied conditions of ado
lescence. couyalescence and decay TO ae-
complish in rapid-fire breaths / never have
heard Sigsbae speak OF the vocal success OF
his command that day. the awful roar and
the crash OF shot and shell. and perhaps a
shrek and groaH or two may have sup
pressed some OF It, but can say of my
own division that IL the nautical traditions
OF Nelson and the glories Of Trafalgar and
Aho,lk!r were dependent upon powder d.
vision noise for their preservation l would
Ike to submit some notes on real Amer
lean vocal effectiveness TO Capt Mahan
for incorporation In his next book
s'The Hartford had damned the tor
pedoes.' had gone ahead-'four bells, Dray-
ton'-had seen the Tecumseh go down with
more than 10 souls and had turned grape,
canister and shrapnei loose upon Fort Nor
gaa's ramparts and escarpments. No hui
man nerve could stand so fierce a storm.
The forts fire was suppressed for the time.
Sigs5ee's men forward hnshei by death
in many forms. had caught the lul n the
battle. but my division being yet blooiless.
though by no means voiceieSs, kept M its
vocal interest in the conflict never did
hear whether the uusic from the after pow
der division had caught Farraguts ear In
his iashment up in the main rigging and
whether IL disturbed his ocular understand
ing Of the enemy's movements. but / do
knew that just then Ssgs.see came from
forward and said: 'Drayton wants you 10
stop that infernal noise Then he asked IL
there were any casualties. and being told
that there was none Re said: Poor Hegen-
bothasu IL killed Hegenbotham was also
an ensign on the adm.rsIs staff. While
talking Sigskee stood IN against a stancss-
ion n the wardrcom-.eosInfry' il is called.
NV division by this time. like many other
choruses. had yielded 10 public pressure
and was sill.
THE next moment there was a crash
against the SIDE Of the snip within ten feet
Of where we stood. II seemed as IL every
thing gave way. l saw the inner piankink
break ard saw tina; plankIng drive out the
Junior officers nessgooFn tsaikhead. l saw
uen ard boys knocked down The air was
fun Of dust ana syssn,ers and flying frsg-
n4n;a I saw the ssanci,fon against which
Sigsf,ee was leaning come down broken In
the middle and enc Jagged end OF II go
axirr / saw Sigsaee reel and swirl and
stsgxer ard rsasaed TO him. for / was I'M
hurt.
Ny God. s.ssbse: are you .urt?'
cried
THE gallant commander az the Maine
dssw himself u proudly ard $500 IA.