The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-14
WhenShelIs


Daring the recent bombardmcuf ~
Ean Juan the monieor Terror lay for
half IN hour within 1000 yards OF tho
shcre. with the shells OF dozen or moro
Spanish guns whirring about her. burst
ing overhead and sending great gcyscrs
spnrting in the afr oil around her. All.
tie other vcescls az tho squadron had
moved ont IL sea. and tho little irccclnG
was alone, banging away at the lnit-
t@cries, which had concentrated their fire.
on her. 4 she'll striking tho y~tesrl'x
open sup~erstrnc.urc deck. whc-n tho
men were at work ut the smaller rrns.
would have caused havoc. While nh
this confusion Of battle reigncl a asiior
spici q ~harmonicon lying % the deck
close TO n Of tho tnrrcts. Tho rrn-
cussion OF tho guns had tunlblc.l IL. from
its hiding place III tho supcrs1r1:ctur>
Tho snilor watched his chulrsc. socnrcd
tho musical inetrument aud went dfnc-
ing to tho upper deck, playi.g u lively
Jig.
That's tho kind Of stusf oar mon arc
made Of" said ono of tho Tcrror'H odi.
GERS tho other day as he related the in
cident. "As I stood there figuring that
the shells were coming n little closer
all tho whilo, thinking it was about
time for one to strike us and wonder
ing just what 1t would do when 1t did.
that fellow came bowling by nc blcyy-
ing his mouth organ as coolly rs though
we were ia tho harbor. Shells didn't
bother Aim. "
But a little while before this tar Of
the Terror accompanied the music Of
the Spanish shells with his harmonica
the Detroit lay in tho mouth of the har-
Dor right under MORO. defying its guns
and pouring shot after shot against the
fort. A shell struck the water about
100 yards absft the ship. A few min-
utes later n second shot from the same
gun fell . little closer, q third was still
nearer, and tho fourth narrowly missed
striking the mark.
The officer in charge Of the 9 inch
gun, as he watched the shot creeping !
nearer and nearer, coolly remarked: II
tell you, boys, That's good shooting. Do
you see how that fellow up there ia get
ting closer and closer to us? II no keeps
up his good work. he'll bit us. It's GER
tainly good shooting" But the SPAN
lard failed to keep up his good work.
From all accounts the sailors do mot
mind Spanish shells a bit. They go into
tho battle heart and soul. They fight at
their guns as though the enemy were at
arms length and the struggle were .
personal one. "Give it to the Sponiardsl
That's good 'uni Another in tho same
place'll make 'em sick ~ That is the
way they talk in the thick OF the fray.
But when it is all over and the music
of the shells and the crash Of the guns
are but a memory the officers in the safe
ty Of the Key West hotel veranda dis
cussing the fight speak respectfully At
8 inch projectiles.
ibid I mind it?'' said q lieutenant
the other night, speaking Of . pGrticu-
lar San Juan she'll.
well, / was pretty busy ut the time
and couldn't give it much attention, but
it did seem to me as though it went
within about six inches OF my head. AZ
I look back upon il now it seems that is
might have been at least 20 feet over
me. But He bit viciously at his
cigar aud solesnnly shook his head.
Scared" said an engineer Of tho
Terror, speaking of San Juan. We'll, I
guess / was. 1t was awfully hot below
and we couldn't see u thing. and the
conclusion Of tho guns and tho irnowl-
edge that we were In q rain Of shells
were mighty unpleasant. The cut and I
were very badly frightened, / tell you.
! guess the cat was worso than I; 10
mewed and don't think did. Eur
then, You know. tho caC and | v;crc the
only folks on board that minded it,
New York Sun.