The Dickinson press., 1898-06-25
OUR TARS IN BATTLE.
HOW THEY ACT WITH SHELLS BuE2.z-
ING OVERHEAD.
One of the Crew Of the Terror Played n
Harmonicon-An Our Sailors Showed No
Fear - How the Man Below Feels In
Battle.

Fear - How the Man Below Feels In
Battle.
During the recent bombardment of
San Juan the monitor Terror lay for
half an hour within 1000 yards of the
shore, with the shells of a dozen or more
Spanish guns whirring about her, burst
ing overhead and sending great geysers
squirting in the air all around her. All
the other vessels of the squadron had
moved out to sea, and the little ironclad
was alone, banging away at the bat
teries, which had concentrated their fire
on her. A shell striking the vessels
open superstructure deck, where the
men were at work at the smaller guns,
would have caused havoc. While all
this confusion of battle reigned a sailor
spied a harmonicon lying on the deck
close to one Of the turrets. The II
cussion of the guns had tumbled it from
its hiding place in the su~perstructure.
The sailor watched his chance, secured
the musical instrument and went dane
ing to the upper deck, playing o lively
jig.
"That' 8 the kind Of stuff our men are
made of, - said one of the Terror's Off
GERS the other day as he related the in
cident. GAS I stood there figuring that
the shells were coming a little closer
all the while, thinking it was about
time for one to strike us and wonder
ing just what it would do when it did,
that fellow came bowling by me blow
ing his mouth organ as coolly as though
we were in the harbor. Shells didn't
bother him."
But a little while before this tar Of
the Terror accompanied the music Of
the Spanish shells with his harmonica
the Detroit lay in the mouth Of the har-
Dor right under Moro, defying its guns
and pouring shot after shot against the
fort. A she'll struck the water about
100 yards abaft the ship. A few min
utes later a second shot from tho same
gun fell a little closer, a third was still
nearer, and the fourth narrowly missed
striking the mark.
The officer in charge Of the 6 inch
gun, as he watched the shot creeping
nearer and nearer, coolly remarked: 81
tell you, boys, that's good shooting. Do
you see how that fellow up there is get
ting closer and closer to us? If he keeps
up his good work, he'll hit us. It's cor
tainly good shooting" But the Span
lard failed to keep up his good work.
From all accounts the sailors do not
mind Spanish shells a bit. They 80 into
the battle heart and soul. They fight at
their guns as though the enemy were OF
arms length and the struggle were q
personal one. "Give it to the Spaniards
That's good 'un! Another in tho same
place'M make 'em sickl' That is the
way they talk in the thick of the>fray.
But when it is all over and the MUSIC
Of the shells and the crash of the guns
are but o memory the officers in the safe.
ty Of the Key West hotel veranda dis
cussing the fight speak respectfully Of
8 inch projectiles.
"Did I mind it?' said a lieutenant
the other night, speaking of q particu
lar San Juan shell.
"Well, I was pretty busy at tho TIM
and couldn't give it much attention, bu
it did seem to me as though it wen
within about six inches of my head. A.
I look back upon 1T now it seems that j
might have been at least 20 feet owe
me. Butt He bit viciously at hi
cigar and solemnly shook his head.
"Scared?" said an engineer Of tn
Terror, speaking Of San Juan, "Well,
guess ! was. It was awfully hot below
and we couldn't see q thing, and tn
conclusion of the guns and the knowi
edge that we were in a rain Of shell
were mighty unpleasant. The cat and
were very badly frightened, I tell yon
I guess the cat was worse than +; b
mewed and I don't think I did. Blu
then, you know, the cat and I were til
only folks on board that minded it.
J New York Sun.