New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-24
THE DAY ON THE WARSH1PS.
VISIBLE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
VISITORS.

noArMEN STILL. DOING GOOD BUSINESS CAhHi-
ING sIGHrsEERs HowEvER--rHE NETWORKS
MASCOT CAUSES SOME EXCITEMENT.
There was a visible decrease in the number
OF visitors to the warships yesterday. but the
boatmen around Tompknsville and those from
the Battery who were enterprising and ener-
re,ic enough to 90 down there had passengers
enough 10 keep them busy all day long. The
"barkers" at the Battery who sell tickets for
tuss and excursion boats which make the circuit
Of the ships were as active as usual yesterday
and their rivalry almost resulted In several
free-for-ail fights. The "barkers" are not over
attentive to the matter of truth-teEing In thelr
competition for passengers and when one OF
them made the assertion that his boat was ue
onliest one wat makes de rounds OF the ships
his rivals in the business resented 1t in language
at once vivid and picturesque.
A fat man, hot and perspirng. rushed UP 10
one Of the "barkers' yesterday afternoon
nourishing a red ticket which he had bought
q few minutes before.
See here" he said. "they wouldn't let me on
that excursion boat I want my money back
THAT tickets good on the boat there" an
swered the ticket-seller pointing to tug lying
near the pier.
But don't want TO go on no blasted little
tug. Why. I'd just as soon go out In a tub
The money was not refunded and the red
faced man continued to argue the point In the
mean time the tug pulled out. and he was left
behind Two seconds later the barker was
confronted by second growler fourishng
white excursion boat ticket He had been re-
fused admission to the tug And so it went all
afternoon
WHERE THE INTEREST IS CENTRED.
tho
Yard the interest has seemed to centre in the
New-York. the Brooklyn and the Massachusetts.
AS the ships lie at their anchorage the last
named looks probably the most formidable OF
all In color she is a little darker than the rest.
and her grimness is accumulated by the extreme
peacefulness of her surroundings. for she is
never free from the feet of gayy decorated
pleasure craft. The New-York had little ex-
element all its own yesterday. Billy. the
goat was the cause Of 1t. Billy is a sailor. every
inch of him, and the men on board the ship say
that he has been kicking fguratively and liter
ally, because ne was not given shore leave with
the rest of the jackies. Billy is allowed his bot
tie Of beer regularly after meals but IT Is
thought that he was given undue allowance
yesterday AS a result he took possession OF
the lower deck. and for about fifteen minutes
he made things lively for everybody and every
thing in sight. He was finally caught. apd
with fore and hind legs securely tied had time
to sober up and reflect on the evil OF over
Indulgence.
THE TEXAS COAL1NG FOR A CRUISE.
The men on the Texas were busy coaling up
and taking on a large supply Of projectiles.
Commodore Philip board, and his flag
hoated from the mast. The coaling will prob
ably take about two weeks. as the orders are to
60 slow. The men are not particularly happy
about being kept on board, but they are con-
soling themselves with the hope that they Will
go to Galveston. en- route to Havana as soon as
the supplies taken on. They are. extremely
good-natured over the task, and as perspiring
tar struggled across the deck dragging large
projectile one Of his companions called out TO
him. laughingly: That's rghtSbe hero"'
The men express the deepest regret az losing
Commodore Philip. who they say VIII probably
20 away on Thursday. He was like father
10 u.s." said Thomas Woolvett. Il have no doubt
that Captain Sigsbee is a fine man but We'll all
miss Captain Philip" Woovett told an inter-
esting story of the death of young Blakely, as
he was standing by a gun on the forward
deck Blakely's time had run out eight days
previous to the day he killed. He told his
comrades that he would stick 10 the ship until
duty is always 10 the Stars and Stripes. A
shell from the fort on La Socapa pierced the
eide OF the Texas. struck against an iron post.
which was shattered. and fragment struck
Bakeiy, killing him instantly. When asked
how man feels going into a fight for the first
time and II there was any nervousness WOOL
vett said:
IF we had been nervous, New-York would
not have seen a naval parade Of victorious war
ships Every man knows his place and his duty,
and he does It. When a man is killed. the fact
is concealed as far as possible His body Is
covered up and in Blakely's case don't think
that outside Of the twenty odd men around the
guns aAy one knew Of IL until the battle was
over. The men in the firerooms deserve whole
lot OF praise Think OF the temperature down
there-a1d above marine is stationed ready to
blow out the brains of any one who tries TO
come up. But It is fine thing to have gone
through man gets lots Of experience. When
asked why the Spaniarcs did not make a better
showing he added. laconically. Lack OF pluck"
JACKIEs PLEASED WITH THEIR FARE.
The men on board the Dig lighting ships are
delighted with the fare they are getting. In
every case where they refer to the poor food
furnished them on the blockade, they add apollo
getically: They did the best they could for us.
We can't complain"
"Eph" Snow, the blacklist man on board the
Massachusetts. opened the ice chest and pointed
20 a large healthy looking watermelon. You
DON heah dis yeah niger do no Eickin' long as
dey's got dat kind OF blossom on boad. But
done got my eyes on Feathers. and since den
bin trubbled little with somlambuism." Feath-
ers is the chicken mascot. Since Ephraim's
somna m busm has become evident, the guard
on the mascot has been doubled.
Most OF the visitors show considerable intelh-
renee in their remarks about things aboard
ship hut young woman on the Texas was
hazy about certain points yesterday
afternoon. After good-natured Jacky had de-
voted more than an hour to explaining the
facts she pointed tn 12-inch gun alongside Of
which she was standing. and said:
pear me. SO this is one Of those 26-inch |
guns I've read about And 10 think that II
will send a shot twenty-sx miles. Dear me,
Sear me-" The Jacky was too polite to dispel
the Illusion.
After services Of this kind the sailors generally
refuse any compensation. a gentleman who !
had had considerable attention shown him. had
a dollar hiu in his hand when he started 10 |