The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-09
IN THE AUXILIARY NAVY.
,,oo,t THE DIARY OF NO. s OF THE
AFTER PORT GUN.

..Vanl<Pe's" Cru1sc-Ihe bANy mah
,,,,,s,rates POint-HOw the Big
FIGHTERS of the Oregon Class Look
ubcn stripped for Business-Fun
in Idle Hours.
DOWNRIGHT, 1898. by S. s. Mcclure Company
continued From Last Week9
,r,o boatswain mates shrill piping and
49,. ,o,,g drawn out cry, IAN hands clear
,,., for actiong was not entirely unex-
.a,tsd An unusual activity on the part of
tbe signal men on the flagship New York
1,d not escaped our notice, and when
the summons to prepare for battle echoed
t5rough the Yankees decks it found us in
re,d,ness for prompt obedience.
At the time the call sounded a number
of us were standing in the port waist
t3v watching the fleet and the shore.
"Ru" a member of the powder division,
whose father is a prominent real estate
broker Of New York, and whose great
talent is for practical joking and general
finn making, was telling a story. AS we
4rattered at the summons, he started be-
ow with me- Even the circumstances
could not prevent him following his hobby,
and he whispered as we hurried along:
SAY. Russ, this reminds me of god
story 1 once heard. There was man
who was too lazy to live and the neigh
bors finally decided to bury him. So they
took him out to the village graveyard one
morning before day and"
Here, you men, pass these mess chests
below" interrupted an officer, reckoning
to us Bill grasped one end of the OBJ
ject indicated and tugged it TO the hatch
They took the lazy man to the village
graveyard, as 1 was saying" resumed Bill,
and they buried him up to his neck in the
earth Then they hid back of tombstones
and"
LESS talking there, men," exclaimed
the navigator, hurrying past us. you
heroes do too much EARNING to suit me.
Get those things below at once. Shake it
up"
They are in an almighty hurry" grum-
bed Bill. THE forts won't move. They IL
he there tomorrow, I guess. Well, as
was saying, the villagers concealed them
selves behind convenient tombstones and
waited to see what the lazy man would
do when he woke up BY and by day broke
and just as the sun gilded the windows
Of the old church the fellow who was
buried up to his neck"
Chase those mess chests below, bull
lies called out the boatswain's mate,
dropping down the ladder a few feet
away. Lively there; the old man wants
TO break "a record. When you have fin
ished, hustle 20 the oil and paint lockers
and help carry all intiammable material
to the spar deck"
For several minutes Bin worked away
IN silence. Between us we managed to
lower number of chests into the hold
where ho mr. Of ha uyaV
then we disposed of more objects Liable
10 produce unweicome splinters, and final
ly we started toward the paint locker.
The gun deck presented a scene of the
most intense activity. The process OF
clearing ship for action requires the united
efforts of the entire crew. On vessels OF
the regular service, such as the New York
OF Indiana where everything has been con
aruct'd with a view TO the needs of bat
lie. The work is thoroughly systematizec
ana comparatively easy The Yankee be
ing merchant steamer hastily converted
INTO a vessel Of war, presented greater diff
hcuhjes.
However, the crew was fairly familiar
with its duties and the work progressed
at rapid rate. When Bill and 1 reached
the paint locker we found several Others
preparing TO convey the oil to the deck
l was a momentary respite, and Bill tool
advantage of it,
When the sun rose the fellows hiding
D'nnd the tomb stones saw the lazy mar
open ms eyes, he resumed hurriedly. "H'
looked around and took in all the details
OF the scene, the old church with the win
vows glowing redly, the weeping willows
sH'Alns and trembling in the crisp morn
INS breeze, the rows of sod-covereC
mounds, the crumbling tombstones, anC
oH one side the Old rickety fence marking
.ne passing of the road. All this he saw
and then
Hear the news, fellows?' interrupte,
me Kid suddenly approaching. I'VE ar
gong to-what's the matter, Bin?"
For bill had caught him by the slack o
.ne shirt and one arm and was hustlin,
Nltn along the deck. The kid" lool1inl
sssHeved, went his way and Bill re
AS ! way saying" ne continued calm
~ me lazy fellow saw all those things
men ne threw back his head and laughe,
a'p laughed until the tears rolled dowl
S checks 'Whoopr he cried. this
we pest piece of luck I've struck yet. Hur
l'E. blamed If it amt the resurrection
NY ana I'm the first Teller above ground
After 1 had finished laughing 1 pickle,
up e can of oil and asked:
WAere's the similarity Bill? It's
to.N Story, but you said this reminde
you OF IT,"
'lu'hph! aren't we going to see tn
ERECTION of some of these old SPANS
s-is around here to-day? Bill demand
And aren't we the first voluntee
on the spot? 1 guess that make
III. story apropos."
ms the Yankee was the first vessel man
NY the naval reserves to reach tn
ue OF hostilities. 1 could not deny BIZ
'''h' Seeing the success of one stor
was on the point of telling another
''h word came to hasten the clearing o
we snip for action, and we we're com
IN hand '-'0
4e decks We're. sanded-a precautio
s. made more than one wonder If tn
lung OF blood was really anticlpa ted
"oats and spare booms were covere
s,I canvas to prevent the scattering O
1.ulers, TIE steel hatch covers wer
n, 80 down, hammocks were broken GU
,lt racks and made to serve as an add
projection 10 the forward wheel-houst
sht- Sa..erything possible done to make tn
'',,p ht for action.
no, time taken to gain this end di
exceed ten minutes, which was alrnos