The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-12
nInCident
In Dewey's-
Career

A good story is told of Commodore
George Dewey, which illustrates not
only his GOODNESS and Judgment In
moment Of peril, but also the high re-
gard in which he is held by the men
under his command. IL was during the
spring of 1887, when Commodore Dew
ey, then q captain. had command of the
flagship Pensacola, q sailing weasel, In
the Mediterranean. While en- route from
Athens to the coast Of Spain the vessel
encountered q series Of short but violent
squalls, which not only greatly retard.
cd her progress, but proved intensely
wearing ON the crew.
One night, when the inconsistency Of
the weather was particularly annoying,
the officer of the watch happened to be
young lieutenant who was very un-
popular with tho men. being what is
termed in nautical yernaoular
"Buoko." Several times during the
watch all hands had been called to
shorten sail, and they were naturally
very much exhausted from racing back
and forth from the decks to the upper
rigging. Finally the order was again
given to make sail, and the tired sail.
ors set about to put IL into execution.
But after the work had been accom-
plished and all hands had come down
from aloft 10 occurred to the officer that
the men had not exhibited sufficient
alacrity to suit him, and advancing to
the break Of the poop, spealking trum-
pet in hand, be Numbered q torrent Of
epithets at the crew, following it up
with an order to lay aloft and go
through the tactics of shortening sail
by way of driln
Unfortunately. however, he had fail
ed to reckon upon the Unborn spirit of
the American sailors, and right here
their forbearance forsook them, and not
man of their number made move
meAt to execute the overbearing order.
Wildly fourishing his trumpet, the
now frenzied martinez threatened and
cursed and stormed, but to no avail.
The blood Of the crew was up, and they
cursed back. ridiouled and laughed him
to scorn. Suddenly the sea and sky were
seen to grow darker to windward, and
it was clear that another squall was i'm
minent.
Alive to the danger to which the ship,
with all her canvas spread, was exposed,
the lieutenant retreated from his threat
ening attitude and urged, entreated, i'm
plored the men to save the vessel, but in
vain. They had been driven to sheer
desperation and only sooffed at him the
more. Onward came the tempest, its
ferceness foretold by the livid shafts Of
lightning which repeatedly flashed from
it's inky depths. The lieutenant, in de-
spair, had eunk to his knees, with his
face in his hands, awaiting the newt
able doom. Suddenly from ont the cabin
oompanionway form emerged. It was
the captain. In an instant his glance
had taken in all - the approaching
storm, the defiant crew, the suppliant
<fioer, the tapping sails-and then clear
and loud rang out his order, "All hands
shorten saill" That was all, but it was
sufficient. Before the last word of that
command had beon uttered the rigging
was full Of flying sailors, cheering their
captain as they sped to their task, and
In twinkling every foot of canvas had
been slowed and the ship placed under
bare poles. Even before they could re-
gain the decks the gale burst upon the
vessel, demonstrating only too foroibly
the fate another moments delay would
have hurled upon her.
When the shock had passed and the
crew had assembled in readiness to obey
the next order, Captain Dewey addressed
his first words to the officer Of the deck.
"Go to your room." he said. Then,
turning to the crew, he commanded,
without the least suspicion Of rebuke in
his tones. "Boatswain, pipe downr'-
J, De o. in st. Louis Globe Democrat.