The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-14

us. and he helped to win our battles.
He was one of the men behind the
guns
This is only one of many recent in
stances illustrating the changed atti-
tude in which Jackie is viewed by the
folks on shore. A few months ago
these tars trod the streets singly 2-.c
in pairs without receiving cheer,
wave Of the hand. or even glance eX-
cept from some citizen who accompan-
led his look with a shrug and the words
spoken contemptuously, "Humph! some
more sailors ashore. / suppose they
Will be in the lookup before morning.
The magic of war and its victories
has worked this transformation Glor-
ious triumph in combat, Bravery IN
battlei Sacrifice and sufferingi Hon
orable wounds received while hghung
for the fiagi These have made heroes
of the men whom many worthy cltl-
zens were half-inclined to desDise a
few months ago.
There is an old gunner's mate on the
battleship oregon who has been in the
service for over 80 years. He polished
and cared for the nine-inch smooth
bore guns of the old navy, transferred
his affections totthe wicked 6O-pou-d-
ers when they were in vogue, and mas
finally adopted as his pet and pride
the Oregon. He cannot read word,
and signs the paymaster's rolls with
cross, yet he knows the intricate me
chanism of a breechloader as scholar
does the alphabet, and he can hit
canvas bulls eye 1000 yards away with
an 1.1O6- pound projectile as easily as
an expert pool player can make d
pocket.
OREGON'S DECISIVE SHOTS.
When the Inflated ships of Admiral
Cervera's fleet poked their noses past
MORO Castle in their desperate and
theatrical attempt to escape from San
tiago harbor, this grizzled Old gun
ner's mate was engaged in his usual
task, that of lovingly shining up the
glossy coat of his 13-incn pride. When
the cry went up that the enemy was
escaping and the drums and bugies ard
gongs hastily sounded general quarters,
he gave few finishing touches TO the
muzZIe, then quietly took his station in
the turret. Presently turning 10 a
young seaman gunner next to him he
said: Charlie. I'll bet you q nlo9th
pay that l make a better shot at the
Dago beggars than you. what aye
saw"
Done" was the prompt reply. Ten
minutes later the old gunner's mate
squinted his eye along the sight, sig
nailed the man at the training lever 10
ease off a little took the range from
the officer in charge of the division,
then gave the firing lanyard quick
jerk. When the smoke lifted the eager
watchers saw a great yawning mole IN
the port bow of the Aimirante Ocuen-
ca.
A cheer came from the men in the
turret, and the old veteran glanced tri-
umphantly toward the seaman gunner
The latter's turn soon came. The
Ouuendo, battered and helpless, drifted
ashore in flames The Oregon, accom-
panied by the Brooklyn, sped on after
the fieet-footed Colon. The rapld-<'e
batteries of both American ships rat
tied and shrieked after the fugitive.
The eight-inch guns rumbled an I'M
ceasing chorus as they belched forth
their steel shells, and occasionally
deeper roar from the 13-inch monsters
would give q mightier volume to the
din.
1t was after one of the latter shots
that the forward turret of the Oregon
echoed with a rousing cheer. Charhe,
the young seaman gunner, had just
dropped the firing lanyard from his
hand, and it was seen that the Colon
coming tower was in ruins. He told
me before he pulled the lanyard that he
would fetch it." exclaimed one of
the guns crew, admiringly, land he
did"
These shots, absolutely marvellous,
under the circumstances, were hred by
men representing the two extremes OF
the service. The old gunners mate
gained his skill through years OF ex-
perience; the seaman gunner, scarcely
of age, was the product Of modern
system of training. But both were
American gunners, and that term
means something in these days
OF YANKEE GUNNERS.
Eighty-six years ago Great Britain,
then. as now one of the great powers
of the earth, discovered that Americans
could win naval battles. But the Eng
lish historians gravely decided that 1t
was, to use Hume's own words. be
cause. of a secret art in gunnery! HOW
our gallant forefathers who manned
the Constitution and the United states
would have laughed at that They
knew as we know today that our ski
in gunnery comes from system whlch
has as its keynote one pregnant word
Practicel Practice.
When the torpedo boat Morris drop
ped in at the Brooklyn navy yard on
her way to Cuba several weeks ago,
among the different members of the
crew who went ashore for a short run
was a young man, smooth-faced and
blue-eyed, and with a placid, calm ex-