Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-09
the next time wo show up we will
have the pleasure of tearing it down
annin -

again.
TIE sPANIARDs POOR SHOTS.
The Spaniards are very poor shots
and should practice great deal
before going TO war with u civilized
nation, whose sailors havo been
taught to shoot straight. Not a sim
glo shot can be said to have hit ono
of our ships; canister shell went
through the air just over us, and as
it hit the water it exploded, piece
of which landed on the deck of the
New York and struck near tho after
6 gun, killing one man and wounding
three others, which is the only death
record we have as done by the
enemy. There was q burial from
the Detroit after the engagement,
but it is said to have occurred from
an accident in her fire room.
IN THE BOTTOM OF TIE TURRET.
| know you will appreciate my
experience of the engagement as
viewed from my station down in the
bottom of tho, ,turrct, where the devil
would have thought the atmosphere
rather close, and from which l have
formed an adequate idea of what the
fire of the damned is like.
On being routed from my caulking
mat on the flying deck, under the
third cutters rack, at tho call TO
quarters, hurried down to the berth
deck to see that the fire hose was
led out and run on deck, before going
into the turret TO open up the pres
sure valves.
When we had all the incidental
preparations made woke to the fact
that the air of the turret was the hot
test have over brcathcd, especially
the handling room, which is where
all our work is done.
INToLERAHLE HEAT.
The thermometer registered 191
degrees at 6 o'clock, and it increased
as we warmed up to our work. FL
nally it began to grow intolerabe
and just when / was about to report
the fact to Lieut.. Chase, our division
officer, who was in the upper part of
the turrct, the exhaust hose, from
the overflow chamber to the exhaust
tank, burst and showcrcd us with hot
water from above. l forgot the heat
in my effort to help the gunncr's
mate to close the exhaust valve to
the right gun, the one affected by
the broken hose, and to keep the
crew of the handling room from
leaving their stations without being
relieved.
had Just left Erickson, (thc gun
ncr's mate, above referred to, and
better known as "Boar,") when |
happened to look up from the hand
ling room and saw "Boar" apparently
hanging on to the ladder to the gun
platform, and at the same time I
heard the gunner cry out, W.ook ut
Boar!'" The poor fellow was hang
ing by his right arm from the ton
round of the ladder, leading down
FROM tic gin platform, in an uncon-
scious state, from which he never
recovered. The gunner and myself
took him out on the berth deck, from
where he was carried up to the ward
room, where he died just two hours
later.
2O9 DEGREES.
After leaving "Boar" returned
to the turrct and found that the
other gun was also disabled and that
the temperature was 200 degrees,
and that the force could not stand it
any longer, so | ordered them to
leave the turrct and go where they
could find some fresh air, making up
my mind to take the responsibility,
if it became necessary. I then
reported to Lieut.. Chase and obtained
permission from him to hunt breath
of fresh air myself. have had some
varied experiences, but the memory
of those two hours spcnt in the after
turrct yesterday will remain with me
if / live to be thousand years old.
THE SPANISH BARRACKS FIRE.
After getting up on deck | broke
down from exhaustion, due, | sup
pose, to relaxation and tho removal
of tho excitement, which gave me
supcrhuman strength. A good drink
of brandy, however, soon brought
me around. AS soon as / recovered
| awokc to the fact that the "Dagocs"
were doing their best to hit us, but
with no success, and we in turn were
at least scoring few hits, for very
soon | noticed that the smoke was