davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08
OUR MEN 9T THE HELM IN WASHINGTON

< N 1 Secretary Long is naturally an easy going man. He makes no fuss about | his daily work and there is no hustle or rushing about. He is quick of de- i cision and orders glide easily into their proper places. He never loses his head and nobody would suspect, in seeing him at his desk, that upon him de- volved the conduct of naval war.
 Every day a little after noon he packs lot of papers into a green flannel bag, such as Boston lawyers carry, and walks home to lunch, his head little bowed, his face overcast with thought. But thoughtful though he may be, a word of greeting always brings an answering smile and a cheery word The secretary takes a long walk every evening after leaving the department and sometimes it is an hour before he reaches his apartments from his desk He goes to bed invariably before g o'clock The President usually stops up till midnight.
 Secretary Alger is a man of war and has considered the Cuban situation all along from the viewpoint of a soldier From the day that the news came of the destruction of the Maine he has re- garded war as practically inevitable and his thoughts and actions have been guided. accordingly. General Alger is not of a sanguinary disposition. On the contrary he is one of the gentlest of men, He is regar led with -.egree of estimation approaching affection by those who come in official and personal contact with him, and admiration for his personal qualities as man Is equaled by appreciation of his abilities as an official.
 General Alger has borne the strain remarkably well, in view of his en- feebled condition, brought on by physi- cal ailments. He seems to be every where at once. during every im-
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08
BROADSLDE SLAUGHTER
 AT THE BA77ZE OF THE YALU
Tie Bges Be Of hoad yp b Admiral Dwey Great Victory ut Manila

when the captain fought his vessel from the exposed altitude of the poop deck, he could see comparatively little of what was going on away from his own vessel. And to-day when the cap tain is shut up in confined coming tower, he certainly will find it difficult to get a general view of the engage ment. AS to the gunners, in turrets or inclosed batteries, they will see nothing except the ship at which they happen to be taking aim. The only persons likely to get a good all round view of the fight will be the men working the machine guns on the upper deck, and in the military tops of the large iron clads. The probability that they will survive to relate their experiences is extremely small.
 Contemporary historians have given us fairly good account of the great Yalu fight. Never was the value of calm personal courage more clearly demonstrated. People are fond of say ing that our modern war vessels are nothing but floating boxes of machin- cry. That is perfectly true. but we must not forget that machines require intelligent, self-poSSessed men to con- trol them. Therefore the most costly ironclad is useless unless she has a courageous. Self-reliant crew to work her. Thus it was at the Yalu. and thus it probably will be should the great naval battle on the Atlantic take place. The superiority of the Ameri- can sailor over the Spaniard requires no proof; if it did, we have lately had brilliant instances on two sides of the globe, in Cuba and the far away Phil- ippines.
 The Chinese, in the matter of ships. had considerable advantage over the Japanese. They possessed two power ful ironclads, the Ting Yuen and the Chen Yuen, armed with four 35-ton Krupp guns. to say nothin~ of many smaller weapons Their arnor was fourteen inches thick. and though their speed was slow. they were formidable vessels compared with the lightly arm ored cruisers fought by the Japanese One of the vessels had the advantage of being commanded by a courageous American. Captain McGiffin. the story Of whose valiant efforts to turn the tide of battle has so lately gone the round of the nress. Put even Captain Mo- Giff1n. though a host Tn himself. could not work miracles with a mob of un- disciplined Chinese towards as a crew. Still it was entirely due to his efforts that tbe Chen yuen survived the ter rib1e attack of the Jana nese rapid-fr- ing guns. Eight times the ship caught fire and eight times Captain McGiffin
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

at the risk of his life, to give the world some of the experiences it stood so greatly in need of. T was not fright ened,'' he said, to translate his broken English into more convenient mode of expression, you see q had no time. We were working hard while the bat tie lasted, half the time there was such a confusion l did not know where l was or what l was doing.
 T was in the band on board the Ma tushima, the ship that was in the thick of all the fighting, but we did not get much chance to play music during the battle. It was in the morning, just about dinner time, that we sighted the Chinese, and we were at it all the rest of the afternoon. 1 could not see much for the smoke, but our ship shook all the time as the guns were fired. and then big shell burst in the battery, throwing one of the guns over, and killing the whole guns crew.
 Very soon we were all of us at the guns, firing. away whenever we could see the white sides of a Chinese vessel through the smoke. Down in the bat tery we could not tell what was going on; we did not even know when our shots hit. But we knew when one of the Chinese shells struck us. for if it exploded the concussion would almost knock you down, and when the fumes cleared away you would see bits of hu- man bodies scattered all over the place.
 One shell exploded heap of ammu- milton, and we found nothing of an of ficer standing by but his cap.
 Luckily for us, a lot of the Chinese shells were not loaded We found one afterward filled with cement, instead of powder But the fires were awful. It seemed as if they broke out wherever there was any woodwork to burn. And one big blaze down in the coal bunkers next the magazine nearly finished us. The fire got so strong that the bulk head between the bunkers and the magazine grew red hot, the flames leap ed through the crevices, and we had to stuff cur clothes into the cracks to pre- vent the magazine catching.
 "Of course we were glad when 1t was over, for though we finished off the Chinese, we came very near sinking ourselves. Half our crew was killed or wounded, and the rest were not good for anything. I got off fortunately with this" and he lifted up his cap and showed a jagged scar on the side of his head. "It was a fragment of shell or a flying rivet which did it, but it laid me up for the rest of the war, for I did not see any more fighting"
 Even in the old days of wooden ships,
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

line ahead, the ships bringing their broadside to bear on the enemy.
 The Chinese, when they saw the enemy approaching, opened fire at six thousand yards (about three and one half miles), but the shell fell short.
 The, Japs, more wisely, reserved their fire till they came within three thou sand yards, when their guns could be used with disastrous effect. The com bat, as far as the Mongolians were con- cerned, soon became a general melee, the Chinese admiral lost all control of his fleet and each ship fought the enemy as best she could.
 Admiral Ito on the other hand, who commanded the Japanese fleet. kept his ships we'll in hand, the attack was de- veloped on orderly, systematic lines, and one by one the weaker Chinese yes sels were either sunk or blown up, or destroyed by fire. Altogether the Japa- nese finished off five vessels and only the two Chinese ironclads were left in
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

. ," 7F T v T < < < < < < < X x < < x < #
 sees his pathway straight before him now, no matter how rough it may be-
 The President takes little recreation, but he breaks away from his desk for few moments every day. Sometimes he Strolls through the White House grounds with a member of the Cabinet, or with some friend, and usually his arm is locked in that of his companion. He delights to wander through the broad area known as the white lot" just in the rear of the executive man. sion. and during these wanderings he is frequently followed by a curious crowd He has a courteous greeting for everybody and usually a word and a smile, which lights up rather sadly his careworn face. Every day or two he takes a long drive into the country late in the afternoon. and on these drives he always takes a friend along
 Secretary Long, the head of the Navy Department, shows the effect of tension ben in a measure paradoxica1. An of ficer of the Peace Society, an organiza- ton the avoWed purpose of which is the prevention of war, he is in charge of one of the military arms of the Gov ernment, and stern duty compels him to exercise functions which are abhor- rent to him.
 During many anxious weeks follow ing the destructi of the Maine he clung to the hope that it would be shown not to have been blown up with design and that Cuba could be freed without a resort to arms. As time rolled reientlessly on and the events of oh succeeding day pointed 70 the ul- innate disappointment of his hope MT. Longs optimistic manner gave way un- der the pressure; the tender hearted secretary is a saddened ma Tt is hard to realize" he says, that we are actually at war;
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

and his European advisers extinguished the flames. The last time, indeed, the gallant captain narrowly escaped de- struction from one of his own guns which was fired so close to his head as to knock him senSeless.
 But though the Chinese had the ad- vantage in the matter of ironclads their guns were notably inferior to the Jap anese. The Chinese had only the old fashioned, slow-firing weapons, where as the Japanese had the latest variety of quick firers. ranging up to six inches in caliber. The destruction wrought by these weapons was so tremendous that every naval power took the hint and there are few ironclads now afioat in which the secondary battery is not equipped entirely with quick firers.
 The splendid craftsmanship of the Japanese gunnerS enabled them to pour a hail of these awful projectiles upon the ill-fated ships of the Chinese, killing and demoralizing the gunners
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

and entertainments of various sorts for the purpose of furnishing the brave boys both necessities and delicacies Trains running into Washington were weighed down with a tremendous &C., emulation of freight for this purpose. Its distribution was finally turned over to the Sanitary Commission, which CO., operated during the war with women's clubs and societies throughout the en- tire North. After each battle agents distributed the supplies as received.
 Statistics show that during the late war the women's organizations raised altogether fifty millions of dollars among their societies in the Northern States, the amount just appropriated by Congress to put the nation upon an ef- fective defensive footing. The little girls of the North, by their miniature fairs and handiwork, contributed $100,- 900.
 Women might serve this Government as spies in great war. That a woman cannot keep a secret herself or let any one else keep one is not borne out by certain secret archives kept in a large fireproof safe in the War Department One of the most active and reliable Union spies in the late war was woman, who worked successfully for a long period. Eventually, however, she was caught by the enemy and hanged to tree. Martial law, Wnlcn states that the spy is punishable by death by hanging by the neck" has no respect for sex.
 The story is also told of a Confeder- ate brigadier general who sent his wife in the night to one of our generals with the proposal that he would for 5000 SO place his force that 1t might be cap tured by the Yankees without any trouble. It is related by an officer that the proposal was accepted. and that the Northern troops captured the force as arranged
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

and setting fire to everything inflam- mable.
 The Japanese did not suffer so much, for they had talk n the precaution to strip their vessels of every particle of woodwork which could be removed. Even the mess tables and benches had been taken out and the hardy little sail ors contentedly lived on the bare deck.
 The burning of the Spanish fleet at Manila gives us another instance of the destructive effect of shell fire, and in future war vessels will be built with little or no wood about their fittings. Everything will have to be of iron. cold and comfortless, but infinitely safer in time of action.
 The fight at the Yalu was mainly a long-range one, and most modern na- val engagements are likely to proceed on the same lines. The Chinese formed up in line abreast, so that their vessels fought end on. The Japs on the other hand fought in the formation known as
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

a condition fit for fighting at the end of the day.
 It is said that the Japs did not close and ram these vessels because they wished to capture rather than sink them, otherwise the victory might have been even more complete. The Chinese, on the contrary, tried to use the ram several times, but each time they were foiled by the superior speed of the Jap- aneSe cruisers.
 Of course in such a stubbornly cons tested battle the loss of life was enor- nous. There were about three thou sand men on each side and out of these the Chinese had TOO killed and wounded the Japanese only 294.
 The heavy loss of the Chinese was mainly caused by drowning, for as their vessels sank the crews perished. All boats were early destroyed and neither friend nor foe had the means to save the unfortunate strugglers in the water. J. F. ROSE-SOLEY.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

Y E was only a little Japanese
 bandsman dressed in nautical
 costume But he was very pa
 triotfc; his small lungs were do-
 ing their best to fill a great trombone with wind. And really the volume of sound which issued from that instrument was amazing; the tiny man puffed out his cheeks at one end and a martial air burst forth at the other.
 The occasion was a peaceful one, for the Japanese cruiser which had just been launched was not yet in a position to do damage to n enemy; the grace ful white doves which fiuttered over head as the vessel left the ways had hardly vanished in the clear sky. But the insignificant little man with the trombone had seen more req fighting than any one p esent; he had witnessed the greatest naval combat of recent days and had narrowly escaped paying for his heroism with his life. When the ship was gone and the people were gone he laid down his big instrument and told me some of his experiences
 IT the ships of he dons ever emerge from their hiding places on the eastern side of the Atlantic and steer west to do battle with Uncle Sam'S fleet it will l dOuDt not, be a second edition of the Yalu struggle; though perhaps the con- fict will be even more bloodthirsty because of the greater strength of the forces engaged. The victory at Manila, splendid achievement though 1t was, hardly furnishes a parallel, because of the great disparity in the forces en- gagged. Moreover the Spaniards had no ironclad vessels, while the Chinese brought to bear against the Japs two heavily armored ships.
 The battle of the Yalu was the second great action which the world has wit messed between modern ironclads. The first was at Lissa, far back in 1866. when armored vessels were but in their infancy. During the thirty years which elapsed between this battle and the Yalu wonderful progress had been made in the construction of fighting vessels; guns were heavier, ar7nor was thicker and speed was greater Yet the advance had been achieved entirely on theoretical grounds, naval constructors were working in the dark, and no one knew exactly how these complicated floating masses of machinery would be- have in real battle.
 And here was little Japanese. mod est and unpretentious, who had helped,
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

"aE President and Secretary of
 War are receiving letters from
 patriotic women all over the
 country anxious to be mustered
 into service in case there should be an outbreak of war with Spain.
 A letter received at the White House and addressed, President Mckinley, Washington, D. G." reads: T write asking if I would be of any use to you in this Cuban trouble. I am only a woman, but I can nurse the sick and wounded. I only wish I were a man. I would go and volunteer to take one of our unfortunate ones place who went down in the Maine. If you need women to nurse, or if in any way I can be of service to you for my country's s sake. please let me know. am strong, weigh 150 ounds, height feet 5 inches, age 27 years and good nurse. Hoping to be of service to my God and country I am at your command" :"
 Another says: T was one of the first volunteer nurses during the war of the rebellion; experience on transports and in hospitals If there is another war l am ready"
 A Canadian woman, who says her brother fought for our flag in the late war, offers her services, and adds ln her let's to the President: Failing the position of nurse I shall be glad to give my services in any other capacity where may be of use.'
 From away down in Colorado an other woman, who addresses her letter War Department" offers her services in these words: Should there be a war between the United States and Spain would there be any show for us to get transportation? We are nurses and strong, healthy women. There are two of lIs aged 35 years"
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08
x xxx*x xx#** ***xx

H RESIDENT MCKINLEY shows
 the strain of the stress of the
 ssa e.ss Sess to but sI@ 5hose esa who 2.sss anys
 what the past three months have meant to the nations executive. With full appreciation of his grave responsi- bilities, knowing the power inherent in his position to affect results, and yet cognizant as the days went by of his inability to prevent the fulfllment of fate, he has endeavored to guide events so far as he could in course which will hold him and the people blameless in the sight of the world for whatever may follow. That he has withstood the strain so well bears testimony to his mental boise and strength of character and body.
 The Presidents demeanor has under gone a noticeable change. The affable, cheery mood which formerly character ized him has given way to a sternness of manner which befits a humane but just judge called upon to execute righteous sentence. A curious illustra- tion of Mir. McKinley's temperament is shown in the differ, nee in his bearing since the passage of the resolutions which made war inevitable. So long as there was the slightest chance for peace the pressure of uncertainty bore heav- fly upon him. and his face assumed a wan and haggard look. That look has not entirely disappeared, but 1t is no longer marked by anxiety. From the moment the decision was reached which imposed upon him the leadership of a nation at war, he seems to have experienced sense Of relief, for he
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

r E was only little Japanese bandsman, dressed in nautical
 costume. But he was very pa- tri0tic; his small lungs were do- ~ N~ +1,ni,. hort .1 4Sr1 Q o-r.e..,+
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

RESIDENT MCKINLEY shows the strain of the stress of the war. None but those who have been close to him can realize
 u,ba+ tho y1aSf tb~aa r,oontbS have
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-09-22
Oakfield and Brayton.

Mrs. H. F. Andrews is visiting at the
Hallock homestead this week.
Two of G. c. Hawks sons started for
Nebraska on Monday to seek locations
for farming.
VIM. Gingery left Oh Tuesday for
Nebraska to visit relatives and Oh his
return will take in the fair.
A goodly number of our people i'll
tend being at Omaha OIL "Iowa Day"
That is right. Honor the state and at
the same time see the exposition.
The new buildings in Brayton are
well under way and we learn that one
of our new bankers, Mr.. Pollock will
soon build new residence building.
Up. Hallock, B. F. Simpson and J.
f. Jenkins each shipped two car loads
of stock to Chicago Saturday after
noon, Brayton being the shipping point.
Our lumber merchant, Mr. Sorensen,
is selling more lumber than ever be-
fore, and surely this does not fit into
the calamity how! chasm of Marshall
town.
Our station agent, Mr.. Barry, was
little under the weather on Sunday. He
has had large amount of work lately
and the trains keep him up quite late
at night.
Eli Hansen, northwest of BraytoD,
is making extensive improvements Oh
his place in the way of water works.
Geo. Cotton and Ed Wood are doing
the work.
Ward B. Smith of Co. G 51st iowa
VOL, is home on a thirty day furlOugh.
Ward looks somewhat poorer in flesh
and is suffering with a distressing
cough. He has been sick but short
time and enjoyed soldering very much
He was disappointed in not getting to
go to the Philippines. We hope this
climate may restore him to health.
J. G. Hardman, the popular Poland
China breeder of Brayton, showed his
herd at the Audubon county fair and
we understand was quite successful in
regard to premiums taking LIST premi-
UNI on aged sow, End premium on SOW
over six months old, 1st on SOW under
six months, End on boar over one year
also 1st premium on Clydesdale mare
three years old, LIST on high grade mare
two years old and End on Gelding in
roadster class. This is the third fair
Mr.. Hardman has attended this fall
and his Poland China's have taken
prizes at them all. We are surely glad
of this as it speaks well for south
Audubon.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-09-22
The English Army.

In the 40 years that elapsed between
the battle of Waterloo and the fighting
in the Crimea the British army attain
ed a maximum of inefficiency. 1t is
only now, when the chief actors in the
great drama of the struggle with Russia
are dead, that the public is beginning
to learn the extent of the incapacity and
inefficiency of the men responsible for
the equipment and training of the Brit
ish army. But for the courage OF the
British private the Crimean campaign
would have been disastrous failure.
Indeed but for the accident of fog on
the morning Of the battle of Inkerman,
which enabled handful Of British
troops to impress 100000 Russian SOL
diers with the idea that they were more
numerous and better supported than
they really were, the English army
would have been driven into the Black
sea and the subsequent history Of Eu-
rope altered beyond recognition.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-09-22
II Wa a Pretty Hat.

A young lady of the east end had just
received several proofs Of different styles
of photographs of herself and had kept
them until the usual semiweekly visit
of her best gentleman friend. He was
punctual in arriving that night, but he
never imagined that it was to be his
last call for an indefinite period.
He had no sooner seated himself in
the parlor than the young lady brought
in the photographs for his inspection.
He looked them over very carefully and
finally selected the only one of the sew
eral pictures showing hat ON the SUBJ
ject 1t was pretty big hat and beau
tifully trimmed. The piece of millinery
caught his eye at first glance, and he
most innocently remarked:
81 think this is the best photograph.
The hat is SO pretty. 1t is very fine
picture of the hat.
The young man did not notice his
fatal error until too late. His visit was
short and uninteresting that evening,
and now he wishes that the art of pho
Biography had never been discovered
Pittsburg Dispatch.