Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-09

Of death,
When the Maine received her death
blow, the first Impulse of the living
was to get away from the disastrous
scene, Captain Sigsbce ran from his
cabin to reach the deck. In the pass
ageWay outside his cabin door Sigsbeo
ran into man. who. cool as on or
binary parade day, drew himself W
and saluted his superior officer Be
You'd the spot where stood the erect
and soldierly form Of the marine Cap
tain Siesbee could hear the cries and
groans of his wounded men, and could
see the reflection of the flames tina.
had shot up from the inferno whence
came the devastating explosion
AS he wondered what on earth or on
sea this marine meant by barring his
/ way at such a terrible hour the figurn
| gave utterance to words that should
! become historical
'Sir." said William Anthony, II have
/ 10 inform you that the ship has been
| blown up and is sinking"
Il is n pleasure to know that this
! hero of the lost Maine lives and is a
the service Of Uncle Sam for peace IT
war. Well may Spain endeavor to APP
pease the anger of power that num-
hers among it's defenders such men as
William Anthony
Amy Yankee marine would have
done the same" was the modest reply
of Anthony to the eulogisms of men
who heard of his bravery in the terribl4
moments following the explosion. And
Anthony is doubtlessly right.
Anthony was evidently destined 30
be soldier. He enlisted almost as
soon a. his schooldays were over, Is
years ago, and has worn the uniform of
Uncle Sam ever since He first saw ser
vice during the old days of the ku- kluA.
and later drifted into the marine corps
as a volunteer, 1t suited him so well
that marine he has remained eve.
since. Previous to Joining the marine
corps Anthony had done good service
| on the Western plains. where his con-
spicuous GOODNESS and bravery marked
him for man Of iron nerve. His fond
ness for the canteen was the only thinS
that stood in the way of his getting a
commission during his career both as
a land and a sea soldier
OF his stern sense of duty many
stories are told The best is this:
While he was stationed at the Brooklyn
navy yard his old mother. whom he
had not met for many years. came over
to see him 1t happened that Anthony
al the time was on sentry duty, and when
he saw the gray-haired mother his
impulse was to drop the rifle and clasp
her in his arms. But this would have
been a violation of the rules of the ser
vice that only an ordinary man would
be guilty Of, Anthony was not an or
binary man, and So with the impulse
struggling in his heart, he begged the
old lady to 60 and wait for him in the
guard room untiiduty done, he could let
heart feelings have the mastery with
out tramping on discipline.
and Lieutenant jenkins? What WAS
he doing that he failed to reach the
deck with the rest of the survivors? 1t
reads like IA romance of ancient sea
| battles to know that this hero of the
1 Maine was seeking at the last moments
Of his life for means to answer back,
shot for shot, the enemy that he sup
posed was Shattering the ship with
shells. The body of Jenkins has never
| been recovered. but enough is known
concerning his movements. after the
/ first of the double explosions that
wrecked the Maine. to know that thus
heroic officer Was struggling when
| death overlook him to reach the gun
thai would have been under his chargc
in action.
What thoughts the brave young
officer had as he made that death rush
to the post of duty will never hc
/ oil no q
! first law of nature. but self-sacritice is
the first law of naval duty. and Lieu
tenant Jenkins obeyed to the death the
impulse that led him to the post of
duty when the wounded Maine stag
gered under the first blow of the UNI
seen foe.
Columbia may we'll Weep for the loss
of such men of iron as brave Jenkins,
| whom the terror of death under the
| awful conditions that prevailed below
decks on the night of the Names de-
| struction could not turn from the duty
path that led to the gun by which
alone. in the startled mind of the naval
hero the power that had dealt the blow
could be reckoned with.
| Neither need the heroes of the terrible
force of the battleshp alone There are
heroes of peace, as we'll as of war. and
if any honors are bestowed upon those
whose brave deeds cast a CLEAN Of light
across the gloom of the disaster surely
Chaplain John p Chadwick will come
in for a share Like the other heroes
named. the chaplain was true to his
duty in the hour of death. He knelt
with the dying on the torn and shaking
deck of the sinking warrior of the sea
and cheered the last moments of some
with words Of hope that when the soul
left the broken bodies the sailors would
reach harbor He was everywhere,
was this hero of the church. None
considered his own feelings less AS
long as wounded man needed help
Chaplain Chadwick was there to minis
ter to his wants.
When at last he was taken ashore
with the rest of the survivors it was to
continue his ceaseless efforts to lighte.l
the burden of the wounded and rende T.