The Portland daily press., 1898-07-23
Leslie San born, youngest son of Mr..
Daniel Sanborn is sick with typhoid
BRAVERY IN THE NAVY.
The Severe Ordea!s Men Endure without
Fear.

Fear.
| (Dr. Raymond Spear in Medical News.
Be fore the beginning of hostilities with
Spain when the ships company was
drilled in preparing the ship fer action
the men ali took their stations promptly
and each part of the machinery of ths
great engine of war was quickly manned,
and in a very few minutes everything
was ready for action.
| To an onlooker the qnicknoss and pre-
oision with which each man took hit
| station seemed marvellous If these same
people could see the actions of the same
| men when general quarters is sounded
| and there is reason to believe an engage
ment is imminent, they would scarcely
believe their eyes. Now enthusiasm ant
spirit dominate everything. Each mar
| knows that on the way his work is dons
depends in measure the outcome of the
conflict
| When everything is made ready, ammu
milton hoisted, guns loaded and manned
there comes q period of suspense, calm
before the storm, SO to speak. Looking
around the decks no 81 gn of fear can BIZ
discovered; there are no pale or anxious
faces to be seen, nobody seems to be
thinking of home; every thought is fol
the present. Here and there the ''jackies'
are cracking jokes; the men at the guns
| tn at will be engaged seem the most con-
tented of all; their companions on the
unengaged side look sorrowful in CON-
parson, and many little oath is dropped
| about hard luck by them.
| A period of expectancy now ensues. TIE
nerves assume state of tension, which is
relieved as soon as the gun is fired. The
crew now settles down to work. The first
few shells from the enemy cause com.
ment; when puff of smoke from an op-
ponent's gun is seer there are some that
stop momentarily and watch for the des-
tination of the shell, and feel relieved
! when they see a column of water rise out
of the sea.
| When the first she'll whizzes overhead
almost every body can be seen to duck
| This is entirely reflex ACT, and is no
| sign of fear. Soon all thought of the
enemy's shell passes away, and the men
at the guns have eyes for their own shells
only. They know that the best defense is
a well-directed fire. Each shot fro m the
guns is noted, and when the range is ao-
| curately determined, the Yankee marks
manship becomes evident
| At Santiago the shooting from the New
| York was wonderful in its sccuracy, shell
| after shell being dropned exactly in the
right spot, and the gunners and Others
sent up shout each time cloud CON-
posed of guns and dusty Dons arose out
OF Spanish battery. The excitement of
action fer those who can see what is going
on "dispels any nervous strain that may
have existed.
Below the decks, down in the engine
and fire rooms, in the coal bunkers and
magazines, there are many men working
away, seeing nothing and hearing only
shells. IL the engagement be with a
| ship, they cannot tell at what moment q
| torpedo will come crashing in through
| the vessels side or, if the ship be entering
harbor, at what instant the ships bot
tom will be blown upward by mine.
| These are the people whose nerves are put
to a strong test. But they never murmur,
| and SO far no man in the American navy
has given in to fear.
| The action over and the enemy's fortifi
cations reduced, there is an air Of salts
faction visible everywhere. Men can be
heard discussing the different shots and
talking about 1.-THE target practice and
wondering when they will get some more
When secure" is sounded and ''retreat
Ato Souc, uiio l1leE So aUOub tuolr uutsD
as ii nothing had happened. Lookin I
around they can be seen writing playing
cards, reading and sleeping quietly.
One of the best examples Of the pluck
and nerve in the American squadron was
made manifest when crew was wanted
by Hobson to ia ke the Merrimac into the
harbor at Santiago and sink her in the
channel The fate of the men who were
to go on the expedition seemed to be
| sealed. tha ohancaS of OQftine nvb
alive apparently were very slim.
There was no call for volunteers; none
was needed; for as soon as it became
known that the Merrimac was to 80 in on
its perilous trip. practically all of the
officers and men in the fleet volunteered
and many were the disappointments
when the seven heroes were chosen.
The war, SO far as the navy is con-
cerned, has been devoid of many of its
supposed horrors, and although the men
have been on the larger ships for six
months without getting ashore, there are
few, if any, who would so home if they
had the chance before the final battle is
fought.