The Dickinson press., 1898-07-02
OUR TARs IN BATTLE.
HOW THEY ACT WITH SHELLS BURST
ING OVERHEAD.

Ono Of the Crew of the Terror Played q
Harmonicon-An Our Sailors Showed No
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 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 ut the bat
teries, which had concentrated their fire
on her. A shell striking the vessels
open su~perstructure 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 q harmonicon lying on the deck
close to n Of the turrets. The con-
cussion of the guns had tumbled it from
Its hiding place in the s~uperstructure.
The sailor watched his chance, secured
the musical instrument and went dane
ing to the upper deck, playing a lively
Jig.
"That's tho kind Of stuff our men are
made Of, said one Of the Terror's off,
GERS the other day al he related the in
cident. "As 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 o 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 it's 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 the 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, al 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 GER
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 go into
the battle heart and soul. They fight at
their guns as though the enemy were at
arms length and the struggle were a
personal one. "Give it to the Spaniardsl
That's good 'un! Another in the same
place'l 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 q 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 a particu-
lar San Juan shell.
swell, I was pretty busy at the time
and couldn't give it much attention, but
1t did seem to me as though it went
within about six inches Of my head. As
I look back upon it now it seems that it
might have been at least 30 feet over
me. Butt He bit viciously at his
cigar and solemnly shook his head.
"ScaredP" said an engineer Of the
Terror, speaking Of San Juan. "Well, I
guess I was. 1t was awfully hot below
and we couldn't see a, thing, and the
conclusion Of the guns and the knowl-
edge that we were in a rain Of shells
were mighty unpleasant. The cat and ]
were very badly frightened, I tell you.
I guess the cat was worse than I; he
mewed and I don't think I did. But
then, you know, the cat and I were the
only folks on board that minded it. y
New York Sun.