The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-10
Richard Harding Davis Vivid Desc A..
ton of the New York ia Action.

The ship seemed TO work and 10 hght
by herself, you heard no human voice OF
command only the grieyed tones OF
Lieut. Mulligan rising from his smoke
choked deck below, where he could not
see TO aim his slx-inch gun. and from
where he begged Lieut.. Marble again and
again 10 Take your damned smoke ont
OF my way" Lieut.. Marble was |aulting
in and out OF his forward turret ike
squirrel In a cage. ono instant you
would see him Tar out I'm the deck where
shattered pieces of glass and woodwork
eddled ike leaves In a hurricane and the
next pushing the turret with his shoulder
as though he meant TO shove it overheard
and then he would wave his hand 10 his
crew inside and there would be n rack
ing roar, parting Of air and sea and
sky. "a fash OF dame. vomiting b.acb
smoke, and he would be swallowed up iu
# like wicked fairy n pantomims
And instantly from the depths below. Ike
me voice Of lost soul, would rise the
protesting shrek OK I.cK .dulusan ask
ing frantically "Oh. will Won take your
damned smoke out of my way.
le New York did not have an the
hEhuug 10 herself lur tne puritan ANA
the Cincinnati were few hundred yards
out al sea. and almost broke their signal
halyards i'm begging lhe Admiral 90 Doe al-
schOOlboys swapping their fingers at tho
schoolmaster in their eagerness 10 Show
of their knowledge and well they showed
b. An impudent battery had opened
from the eastern coast OF the harbor and
they turned ON that. The Puritan was "a
wonderful sight her decks were dashed
with two feet Of water the waves seemed
TO be running in ana Que OF her turrats.
ana tho flames and smoke from her great
guns came from the water line. so that
# looked TO us as though she were s.1k-
ing and firing as she sank. The Cnc.n-
natl fired broadsides as rapidly as a man
can shoot q self-cocking revolver; Z was
perhaps the most remarkable perform
ance OF the day The aim throughout
was eXcellent-although 30 is not ncccs-
sary 10 say that OF American markham
ship-aud the shots fell fairly .n the ram
parts. throwing the earthworks nifty feet
in the air and cutting them level with the
ground only three shots from the bat
teries struck near the New York. and
none Of them came closer than one hum
dred yards. The engagement lasted ff-
teen minutes. but &c was so exciting whils
it lasted that they did not seem more
than five.
ON the whole. the conclusions were
not as deafening as / had been lod 20
think they would be- but IN other ways
the bOmbardment gave me the worst
shaking up / ever received, though I
once. with nine other unforlunates.
dropped down the elevator shaft of tho
LILO Building; but tho shock OF that was
Ike stepping or a bicycle 10 comparison
What the effect would be on one n an
enemys shots OF Ike force were striking
and bursting around the ship / cannot
even imagine. The thought of IL makes
me want 90 take OF my hat 90 every
blueiacket ] meet.
10 is rot likely that any one VIII under
value tine qualities OF our sailors. bat 10
ono need feel the least afraid OF giving
them too much honor. or OF praising
them beyond their deserts Their footing
on one OF these floating iron foundrios in
action i5 about as secure as that OF 2
parcel OF flies on a window pane when
some one hits 10 with a rock With the
army q soldier always has the squsfac-
ton OF knowing that n DE is nor wcfori-
Gus no can retreat through several states
before he Is forced into the Pacific ocean.
but the sailor OF our navy has no such
consolation. lie must either win or sink
IN his cohln--Scribners.