The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-04-21

indicated in my opening paragraph, they
| broke Tor the Ievee top and disappeared
into the city.
| / at once sent for The Chief of Police. and
requested him to notify the force that $50
| per head awaited the return OF every sailor
| of the crew found ashore while NE re
| NAMED. doubt whether farce and comedy
| were ever better represented on a small
| scale than by the police and Volunteer S
crew during The next three days. The
men seemed possessed with an unquench-
able thirst for liberty, and with perfect
| recllessness as to the expense; while the
bonus offered was sufficient 10 Keep the
police lowering on their track and to pro-
| vice me a working crew.
Pity the poor fellows for The loss OF their
earnings? So ! did, but was literally
! powerleSs &c restrain them IN any CtGer
way | do not doubt that twO-thiTds OF the
| ships crew took liberty in this unique
way; many twice and some three times;
none returned without a policeman tugglng
at his collar until the bonus was ioTth-
| coming.
When the ship sailed scarcely a man
was lett behind, while these ON beard were
| all sober and had al regained that l0lhty
50 characteristic Of their class.
All are awere pf tie cRstcm of-and neces,
sity fer 9 punetiIiCus observance o. naVai
orders. My orders required me 70 place
monitors with their mUzzleS ieTWaFd
On arriving / found fi1e turretS completed,
with their gun-pOTts facing ait and though
| knew perfectly well that mine was not 10
as the reason why mine but TO 90, or
chance a c1uTt-martl2I Besides, / Gtd
not care so much, because my instructions
further stated that the contractor was to
mount the guns at his own expense ana
risk. / was only 10 tender to the contrac-
tor the use of the ships tackle and crew,
aiding him in all practicable ways.
! therefore delivered the guns, reported
my orders to the contractor and. conscience
stricken at the mess lad pre- AIRED Tor hlm,
awaited his pleasure. lie produced Ger
rick that lie had Constructed, but ali 100
short to hoist and handle the guns over
the turret-tops, and spent a halliday in
setting II up. He spent another IN tearing
in pieces my spar tackle, and another hall
~ hitching it up, but had not moved
gun.
gram Just received: "Eeturn with all pcs
sible dispatch. Iiiver falling rapidly
John W Livingstone, Commodore.
/ said: Il must go; what are you going TO
do?" He replied: Il know nothing about
handling these great guns tthey weighed
G Do 'he"' ha' sn'N | no. """' %"
/ replied: "You had better place me
under orders to cunt your ms. | VIII
work fer you; but remember, if drop a
gun through your monitor or slide 1t INTO
the Ohio. it your gun, and you must do
the diving
He gratefully accepted my. services and
ter s. Ticl<lish AT the best, with bis
faulty derrick it was a bad Job; ca n gun
had 10 be turned around; raised hlsh
enough to clear the ;urTet, launched ali
until its.trunions were over their counter
parts OF the carriages and lowered Its
place. While | am Boosting, ] Will say
that | thus mounted the last OF The four
guns In one hour.
great suspension bridge, then nearing COM
pletion, beECnd which We were 20 land:
None OF cur Earty had seen II before. ana
several OF Cur officers stoCG on ne hurIi-
cane deck, lest in Gcn,5ra'{on, when the
pilot a, ne wheel called cut:
"CartaiD, where 90 you wish to landt"
Turning TO replT. / noticed dat lis ex-
preston WIS anxious and strained. m
stantly diVired tine reason. and anticilat
his discontinue with secret leastTe. {
feared thaj | ould Try 10 Pass under ihe
bridge. ard knew, IS Ge thought. that cur
tall sn-okestacAs wCGld he tumtied over
beard.
| had also observed the low appearance
of the bridge, ard glancing up al cur tai
stacks felt the appTeEcnsions q the pilot,
but knew that We could not possibly hiC
it5even on a high stage Of water, while this
was d low stage, giving US 80 feet more
room. /. therefore evaded the pilots
question with eve viii land farther up
A few more moments silence, then
Captain, we cam pass under that bridge
we will lose cur stacks.
keep her as she is, sir" He did not
dare stop the bcaf, and, probably resolved
to die like Roman. Suddenly:
Captain they are signaling us to stop |
Site enough a man swinging high over
the center OF the river was vigorously waV- |
ing flag, but | knew this 10 be their
method OF signaling to the shore for more
bolts, wires ard parts, and 50 | SAID: Let
her come ahead sir, and just then the
mighty and beautiful structure accommS
datingly raised its graceful proportions
high IN the air, while cur contemplate !
little boat squatted lew in the water as we |
passed under, q ing our pilot room 10
spare for his pet stacks and the iull and
much needed expansion Of his lungs S
well.
The Western pilots are unique and they
are especially so in the fact that no cir |
cumstance will Justify any interference |
with their professional preroratIveS from !
the moment the steamers lines are cast |
off until they are again made fast. The |
pilot is the autocrat OF the boat. the Cap |
tain the owner or q dozen OF them com !
bined, count for naught, and the Captain |
who would take the liberty To advise a |
pilot as to how TO handle the boat, or to
avoid strong currents, Or to make landing, /
must be prepared to see him leave the
wheel without other notice than a sulphur
Gus expression OF his appreciation.
Our pilot on this trip had been many
months with me in the Neosho. He was
one of the old, old pilots who knew the
land and water marks, bends and shoals
as one knows the rooms in his own house.
He had. for rs years, handled steamboats,