Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-08-11

jumping overheard to the assistance
of the mon, until an officer of the
deck gavo positive orders prohibiting
any more seamen from jumping over
board.
"Again, l remember an incident
of o naval cadet, the nephew of Com
modoso Schley. We we're ncous-
toned to climb over the masts for
exercise. One day Schloy, just in
front of me, lost his footing at the
top, struck n top sail yard, roboundcd
and fell overheard. His body soon
appeared on the water, but there was
apparently no life in it. With tho
storm that was raging it was impos-
sible to get the ship around with the
wind. One of the boats was in
stantly lowered, but the mon were
quickly overturned, and were strug-
Cling in the water for their lives.
Another life-boat with q full crow
was then launched, and every man,
including young Schley, by daring
work, was brought to the deck in
safety. Those men did not know
danger, and they were only average
sailors. But that is tho sort of stuff
the American navy is made of o-day.
cloud cheers.)
! HOW THE MERRIMAC~ WAS SUNK.
"Ht was this sort of metal that was
exhibited by the men who sank tho
Merrimac. SO eager were the men
to make that expedition that only q
short while after tho call for volun-
tcors had been made a prohibitive
order was issued that no moro men
would be wanted. One hundred
brave sailors had volunteered on the
New York alone; and tho Iowa sig
nailed across the water that $50 men
had volunteered there.
Wust before the vessel started into
the mouth of the harbor conyersa-
tion was overheard among two of
the men which betrayed the belief
on their part that the vessel was to
be run three miles up the harbor.
Whom the men took their stations
on the Merrimac, for their final start,
every man lay flat on his face on the
deck with special torpedo to man.
age. Directions had been given
them, and it was expressly agreed
that no man should heed the cnemy's
fire, no matter how hot it got, not
even to raise his head. Moreover, it
was agreed that in case the proiec-
tiles from the Spanish guns flew
thicn and fast and any man was
wounded he was still to remain at
his post, attending, if possible, to the
special duty assigned him. Those
men lay there, and those men attend
ed to those duties. 1t was no occa-
sional shot that came from those
cncmy's guns. 1t was a perfect
grind of mctal-a rain storm of shot
and shell. Then came the tremen-
dous explosions, but the hull did not
sink all at once. 1t went down by
degrees, and those were moments
that those men will never forget.
When big 6-inch shell exploded
directly in front of the little
group, lying huddlcd on the
deck, when one shell went
into the boilers and lot the steam
loose by the side of the men, the
strict command, NO man move till
orders,' was obcycd to the letter. If
there was ever time when circum-
stances would have forced an OBJ
scrvancc of the old principle of self
preservation, it was then, but not a
man budged. When those men were
in the water, being hunted by Span
ish boats looking for any that might
have escaped, the order that no man
should move was obeyed perfectly.
On the arrival at Moro, when the
men were placed in cells, and Span
ish soldiers made threatening signs
at them our sailors merely laughed
at them. we would do it again to-
night, if it were necessary replied
one of the American men, in answer
to Spanish question.
GA Spanish major asked one of
the prisoners what the vessel was
sent into the harbor for. sIn the
United States navy it is not the Gus
tom for scamcn to know or ask the
object was the reply.
CLAIMS LITTLE CREDIT.
"When | relate this occurrence
you do wrong if you apply any great
amount of credit for this little piece
of work to an individual. 1t was
merely an evidence of tho fact that
the officers and men of the American
navy are always anxious to perform
any duty that they arc ordered to do,