The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-06-11
DEWEY'S GOODNESS.
illustrated by an Interesting Incl.
dent I'm the Career OF the Hero
OF Manila

A good story is told of Commodore
| George Dewey, which illustrates not
only his GOODNESS and judgment in a mo-
ment of peril, but also the high regard
in which he is held by the men under
his command. 1t was during the spring
a captain, had command of the flagship
Pensacola, a sailing vessel, in the Medi-
terranean. While en- route from Ath-
ems to the coast of Spain the vessel en-
countered a series of short but violent
squalls, which not only greatly retard-
wearing on the crew.
One night when the inconsistency of
the weather was particularly annoying,
the officer of the watch happened to be
a young lieutenant who was very I'M
popular with the men, being what is
termed in nautical %vernacular a
'bucko." Several times during the
watch all hands had been called to
shorten sail, and they were naturally
very much exhausted from racing back
and forth from the decks TO the upper
rigging. Finally the order was given to
make sail, and the tired sailors set
about to put it into execution. But.
after the work had been accomplished
and all hands had come down from
aloft, it occurred to the officer that the
men had not exhibited sufficient alac-
rity to suit him, and, advancing to the
break of the poop, speaking trumpet in
hand, he Numbered a torrent of cpl
thets at the crew, following it up with
an order to lay aloft and go through
the tactics of shortening sail by way of
drill. Unfortunately, however, he had
had failed to reckon upon the Unborn
spirit of the American sailors, and right
here their fo~rebearance fOrsook them,
and not a man of their number made
a movement to execute the overbearing
order. Wildly f1ourishing his trumpet,
the now freizied martinez threatened
and cursed and stormed, but to no avail,
the blood of the crew was up, and they
cursed back, r%idiculed, laughed him to
scorn. Suddenly the sea and sky were
seen to grow darker to windward, and
it was clear that another squall was i'm
minent.
Alive to the danger to which the ship,
with all her canvas spread, was eX-
posed, the lieutenant retreated from his
threatening attitude, and urged, en-
treated, implOred the men TO save the
vessel, but in vain-they had been
driven to sheer desperation and only
scoffed at him the more Onward came
the tempest, it's ti~erceness foretold By
the livid shafts of lightning which re-
peatedly flashed from its inky depths.
The lieutenant. in despair, had sunk to
his knees, with his face in his hands,
awaiting the inevitable doom. Sud-
denly from out the cabin companion
way a form emerged. 1t was the cap
tain. In an instant his glance had taken
in all-the approaching storm, the de-
fiant crew, the suppliant officer, the
Tapping sails, and then, clear and loud,
rang out his order: "All hands shorten
SAIL" That was all. But it was suffi-
cient. Before the last word of that
command had been uttered the rigging
was full of flying sailors, cheering their
captain. as they sped to their task.
and in a twinkling every foot of canvas
had been slowed and the ship placed
under bare. poles. Even before they
could regain the decks the gale burst
upon the vessel, demonstrating only too
forcibly the fate another moments de-
lay would have hurled upon her.
When the shock had passed and the
crew had assembled in readiness tc
obey the next order. Capt. Dewey ad-
dressed his first words to the officer OF
the deck: go to your room," he said
Then, turning TO the crew, he com
manded, without the least suspicion OF
rebuke in his ones: "Boatswain pipe
down!"-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.