Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22

lnCn In steer realty - III thfen"~N's - -->~>-
| disappeared down a ladder at my feet.
"Thls Is the mess-deck for the blue
| jackets-under the turtle-backed FORE
| castle, you see"
ono long table stood IN the centre. and
| two rows of lockers ran along the snip
| side. A few men were down here, one
| stitching canvas, another mending MS
| clothes. one reading book, another
| writing a letter, and one stretched OUT
right forward fast asleep, utterly OBJ
iivious of everything going on beside him.
about twenty men live down here"
said my guide. "These are their ham
| mocks. and that is the capstan engine
we have a steam capstan."
He pointed above his head as he spoke
More store-rcoms under our feet, too"
he continued I'VE keep the explosive
war-heads for the torpedoes down below
here We have two 1S-inch torpedoes,
carried without the heads, in the tubes
themselves. Now let US go up on the
fore-bridge."
A FINE SPEED.
We had increased speed, and now we
were we'll out to sea and gliding along
through the water so smoothly that /
could hardly believe the statement that
our speed was over twenty-four miles an
hour Slipping through the water. with
no vibration at all. the only indications
OF speed were the ripples on the water
flying past US. and the fountain Of spray
rising at our sharp. straight, stem, spark
ling with all the colors OF the rainbow as
the suns rays flashed upon 1t.
A beautiful blue sky above, with hardly
n cloud TO be seen, except that on one part
Of the horizon there is a little haze. The
fountain at the bows is playing beautiful
ly now, and all around is the pure, bright
sea air blowing against ones face, end
through ones clothes, and into ones body;
rousing. stimulating. and reviving one,
and making one feel q new man, so re-
freshing and exhilarating is it.
"Starboard!' sings out my friend. star
board. sir.' answers the quartermaster.
whose head /, being startled in my reve-
rie, nearly tread on, it having come UP
suddenly through a hole in the platform
on which we are standing.
''Well. how do you like it?" queries my
guide.
IL wish I were In your place." said /.
'Oh," replied he, laughing "come out
on a cold, wet night in January, when
heavy sea Is running, and you have to
hang on TO the rails TO prevent yourself
being carried off your feet; when the seas
rise. dashing on the turtle-back, and
washing. all over the upper deck; when
you are soaked TO the skin, and, clinging
on to something, are shivering and think
Ing Of the many thousands ashore who
are fast asleep, warm and snugly tucked
between the blankets; when the binding
spray and sleet is lashing your face like
whipcord in an incessant shower, so that
you can hardly open your eyes as you
vainly struggle to peer into the darkness
to discern the lights OF the vessel ahead;
and when everything down below in the
ward-room is sliding about on the deck,
gloriously mixed up, so that IL you wish to
get piece of meat for supper you have
to hold the joint with one hand whilst
you hack off slice with the knife, and
when you can't stand up by yourself
you'd soon change your mind"
THAT'S THE TIME"
Walking aft, we went down the engine
room ladder.
'Tm sorry we are only going $50 revo-
buttons per minute now" says he. you
should see them going at $50 That's the
time. But as it is, I wonder nightly TO
see these two engines with their many
bright rods flashing up and down; the
cranks whirring round at the rate OF
four revolutions per second are alone
enough to make one pause and wonder
when human ingenuity will reach It's limit,
and also speculate on what a terrible
smash there would be If anything CHANGED
TO go wrong.
"Lunch!" yells the matter-of-fact
steward.
Chatting and joking formed the converse
ton whilst plates were being emptied and
ref1lled, for every one seems to be put in
good temper by this sort Of work.
AS to the messing, must say 1t was
far better than imagined could obtain
on board a small boat like this.
Plain, but good and substantial food, ex-
cellently cooked, is the order OF the day;
and cut and come again is the order of
the table, which last I carried out in
spirit and truth.
"Sailg' suddenly came from above, to
disturb our enjoyment, and there was at
once a general exodus from the lunch-
room. Then / was treated to an exhibit
ton Of the agility of a Yankee crew
when there is real earnest work to be
done The celebrity with which every man
reached his station and stood waiting for
the next order was marvellous. 1t proved
to be friendly craft, and there was much
disappointment in consequence, but the
Quickness and eagerness of the men at
the prospect of an engagement augured
well for the success of the torpedo-boat
in an action with the Spaniards.
We returned to Key West after a short
run out TO sea, and 1 stepped ashore from
the boat with a very satisfactory recol-
lection of my first experience with
torpedo-boat, and especially of the apre-
tlte that had worked up during my snort
trip on the nuch-abused craft.