The Portland daily press., 1898-05-12

tho Jackies and Their Officers Make
the Best of It-Some Pertinent Com
ment-The Mess of the Naval Cadets
| Incidents of the Blockade.
| (Frederick Remington in the Chicago
| Tribune.)
On board the Battleship Iowa, May A.
Washington oficialism had struggled and
struggled and writhed under the inevita-
BILE, but at last, exhausted by it's efforts,
it lay still. Its last gasp was an empty
phrase for war, and the feet off Key West
| had it's orders to proceed to Cuba. l
boarded the tug which took all the shore
leave men off to their ships. and was
| ''landed" Zone might almost say it) on
the Iowa, battleship, an iron island float
ing on the sea. The Captain was "Fight-
| ing Bob'' Evans, but aboard ship found
him a calm eyed man, plain and straight
| forward in his affairs. 1t was Captain
Evans simIly, and stand up when you
say it and have your statement straight,
for the weather roll in the aptain's eye
as it turns over your person is severe and
not encouraging. To a shore man the en-
| vironment of modern battleship is more
strange than any dream. 1t appears as
though it had a nut and bolt factory as
base, but the other mixtures are like an
international exhibition, a Worlds Fair
of people and things. The thyob of en-
gines, the shrill squealing of bo g. MS whis-
! ties, elec trio lights, cranes swinging CO al
In from the lighter "longside," long guns
bigger than forest trees sticking every
| where, sharp orders. gentlemanly officers
in white duck trousers, and bare-footed
jackies running about monkey like in
their movements, while marine guards
strut martially across the deck. You go
to the dining-room, or, as they say,
"wardroom," through another room
which makes you chilly, because it is
filled with long flshlike torpedoes which
are loaded with dynamite or other nerv-
GUS things difficult to tolerate on inti-
mate living terms. And tomorrow VIC are
going to war. One doesn't in these days
go to war often enough to make it COM
monplace, and yet strain as I would,
/
men, could find nothing but the most
deadly apathy concerning the whole pro-
ceeding. I don't think it was because
they were overused in going to war, but
they have eaten and slept and drilled and
thought so much within the ships sides
that it has eaten up their other thoughts.
They are a part of the big machine, the
Iowa, and it was built to go to war, SC
why not?
j, IN THE SAILORMAN'S VIEW.
After dinner strolled forward to the
bridge through that part of the ship given
up to jack tars. There was much bustline
and the sailorman when he speaks tune:
on the high pedal
"I hain't had bath yet-d-this wal
to h-ll," yelled sailorman, so you car
see that to "jackie'' war and baths have
ludiorous proportions. Naval people are
4 highly specialized. And these men as they
talk make you wonder. Says one to an.
other: ''Say, Bill, where is the flying
squadron going?"
"How do you suppose I know where
the flying squadron's going. Say, you
don't have to think about that; all yor
have got to do is to come here and stant
by ard heave short the starboard chain,
and this cheerful reply tore the quie
night into ribbons.
The Ardois signal lights were winkine
intelligence at each other from the masts
of the various ships. the water slapped
lazily against the ship, the coaling geal
creakcd; it was busy aboard, but grea1
quiet lay over the gulf, and the gray sky
} did not care about the little metallic fus
going on below. I turned in lazily ani
was awakened during the night by a sol
dier, who was kneeling on my back trying
to fasten up the port hole, while he swor'
softly.
When I came ON deck in the morning il
was beautiful day; what the sailormer
call "old woman's g weather." and VI
; we're under way. Ahead of us steamed
] the big cruiser New York, just made Ad
miral SIMPSONS flagship, and promptly
at eight bells he broke out his pennant
t The guns on the flagship banged away
its sailors cheered, contrary to regula
! tions, and ours gave an answering cheer.
A torpedo boat came alongside and yelled
5 the Admiral's thanks for the cheer to Cap
tain Evans. So much for the regulation
When they get mixed up with human
nature.
t FOLLOWED BY THE SQUADRON.
Behind US in the doubls column cam
) the squadron. big bulldog of a monitor
> taking low, throat hold of the wave
and eating into them just behind us. Th
little torpedoes cut along over the wave
on our fianks showing both ends alter
i nately and their bottoms besides.
1 Now, hope we are off, said the doc
: tor. 1--WE must look at the luggerhea
light for two months, at Sand Key Ligh
Y six weeks-how long will we have
: look at Morro?" and, after waiting, Ho,
long before Sandy Hook?'
r As though an earnest of good luck t
e the Admiral's flag big Spanish mel
ohantman, with colors flying, steame