Smyrna times., 1898-12-28


fnfriOtic Greek Boiler Maker NV
Some of Uncle Sans Sailors with
Whom He Had Shipped.
About four years ago the cruiser on
winch was serving shipped a boiler
maker while we were on the Mediter-
ranean station" said a Washington
chief petty officer of the navy, now on
ItaVe OF absence. "Our former boiler
makers time expired while we were at
Gibraltar, and as he was not in good
physical shape he wasn't re-enIisted
but took his discharge and returned to
me United States by mail steamer. So
the snip was shy boiler maker. a verv
Important and necessary petty officer
uo"n below in the engineers depart-
meht, and when the ship pulled into
Naples harbor the chief engineer went
ashore to see if he couldn't dig nm a
boiler maker. :"
There's clause in the enlistment
regulations permitting commanding
olIlcers to ship necessary men on foreien
STATIONS IN short handed emergencies
Inc chlef engineer brought back to the
snip Greek named Charlie Marc. The
man couldn't speak any EngIish-to
speak of-but he was a good man ot
the boiler making business. and he was
duly shipped aboard of us for three
years. lie was a wild, hairy looking
lot' Marc was, and he got a good deal
OF laugh at the hands of the crew. es-
peclally the younger fellows, from the
TIME he first came over the side.
Marc thought that there wasn't
any other country on the map excent
Greece. He thought that the 'GreeLa
man was the hottest kind of a tamale
when 1t came to scrapping by land or
sea- and after he got hold of enough
English to make himself understood he
used to take some of the young appren-
tlce boys up into the eyes of the shin
and tell them with many gesticulations
and furious words of the different kinds
OF tar Greece would knock out of Turkey
II the two countries ever came to an
open rupture.
Inc ship was around on the Pacific
station when the war broke out between
Greece and Turkey When the news of
the outbreak of the war got to Marc. our
boiler maker, he nearly had heart dis.
ease and whole lot of other sudden
things from pure excitement. He inst
couldn't hold himself in, he looked so
tickled.
Da Greeka man villa bimI binI
BIN! da Turka man, was Charlie
Maro's way of putting it, and he didn't
see that the Turk had a ghost of a show.
All hands forward encouraged him in
the belief. They all acquiesced in ex.
pressing the belief to Marc that Greece
would simply eat Turkey up. Then a
bo'sun's mate who knew how to crack
the most impossible kind of steers with
q face as solemn and wooden as an In.
dams took Charlie in hand and told
MIN some things. He told Marc that the
United States was so much in sympathy
with Greece in the struggle with Turkey |
that the navy department had decided !
to turn over all of the ships of the
American navy to Greek commanders.
Here's a big chance for you.
Marc, the bo' suns mate told Marc |
You just want to work your edge.
Here you are already shipped on this
cruiser, and it's dollars to doughnuts
that II you ask for the command of this
ship Ill order to take her over to Greece
to mix 1t up with the Turks you'll get
1t hands down. Better try it on.
"That idea impressed Marc a heap.
He asked the bo'sun's mate whom he'd
have to apply to to get command of the
cruiser.
Why, to the commanding officer,
Of course, was the reply.
Marc was tremendously important
for a day or so while he let this huge
idea grow within him, and he buIIied
the men detailed to work with him
down below i'll the boiler room a good
1eal. The bos'n's mate kept working
him up to it, and finally Marc appeared
On deck one morning logged out in his
very best mastering suit of bluejacket
clothes and went up to the officer of the
1eck and asked permission to see the
commanding officer at the mast. The
1fficer of the deck was rather surprised
20 see the man all done up in his mus
erlng togs when all hands were at
work, but, as he is obliged to do when
IN enlisted man requests permission to
Zee the commanding officer, he sent
word to the skipper, who soon emerged
rom his cabin and appeared at the
tick.
Well, my man?' said the skipper
o Marc, who stood bolt upright and
aluted with a flourish.
'Sare, said Marc to the skipper, L
lave-a da honor to her by taxa da com.
nand of da ship.
'Hey?' said the commanding Off
er, putting his hand to his ear and
ooking as if he hadn't heard Alright.
Da ship. repeated Marc. Fora
Ia navee ola Hellas-da Greeka navee
Il hava da honor to TAXA da command
All hands among the enlisted men
we're up ON the to'gallant fo'c'sle TAX
ng the thing in, and they broke into q
oar that you could have heard five
able lengths distance Marc heard it,
nd, suspecting that his confidence had
een abused, got red and fabbergasted.
te suddenly bolted for the engine room
atch and made his way below, and it
ook three marines to drag him aft to
he sick bay, where the surgeon, at the
kipper's command, gave Marc a half
ours examination as to his sanity.
laro was game enough to decline to
i've the name of the enlisted man who
ad told him he was eligible for the
ommand of the ship upon its being
turned into the navy of Greece, but
le thrashing he gave that bos'n's
late when be got him on the beach
1as certainly savage Washington
tar
Upon an average 10000 pineapples