The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-11
HOW BOSTON WAS SAVED.
A Famous Trait of Her People Fooled
the SpanIards.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.


There had been sounds all day, dull
tons. True there were sounds on pre-
vious occasions, but none quite so en-
phatic. And now Boston realized that the
worst was at hand
The Donna Ipecachuana and the Don
lingo Sarsapareelah were anchored off
the harbor, and at any moment the bonn
bardment might commence. Everywhere
people could be met hurrying toward the
interior of the state, loaded down with fam
lily trees and Puritan Bibles, and all the
minor household gods. The gilded cod
fish cleaned duly on the state house. The
grass on the common turned an ashen
brown.
AT $3.50 anti-meridian the Donna Ipecac-
huana yawned heavily and dropping into
position fired a steen-inch shell from her
bow gun. The projectiRe entered the city at
the fish wharf and chasing Itself up the
first narrow street that suggested a con-
venient opening speedily found itself in
difficulties In following the tortuous
course it curved here and there and left
and right and in Zigzags and obliques,
until it reached Washington street, where
it was too tired and confused to explode.
This shell was simply a warning. 1t had
the desired effect Mayor Quincy and the
city authorities moved briskly. They had
the Spaniards terms. A ransom of $10O0O,-
600 to be raised in six hours, 500 tons OF
coal and five off-hand shots at Bunker
Hil shaft There was only one more
condition Twenty Boston maidens, the
flower of the Hub, were to be Immediately
sent aboard the enemy's ships as hostages.
to be held in testimony of Boston's good
faith.
At 10 o'clock the maidens left the wharf
in two barges, ten to a barge The sun $
rays touchted with fire their cleaning
spectacles and yellowed the texture of
their reconcentrado necks. Their ages ag-
gregated 7S9 years.
They did not weep. There was a look of
high resolve upon their chiseled features.
A moment later they were speeding away
over the ripping waves.
A chill breeze swept the decks as the
two installments boarded the respective
warships. Each captain involuntarily
looked at the barometer. Then he looked
at the ten maidens. After that he cheer
fully looked back at the barometer.
The fair hostages, statuesquely cold, sat
in a row of chairs on the after deck. They
were not disturbed. The handsome Span
ish officers who strolled by with smiling
eyes and cleaning teeth didn't come back.
The marine who-with chattering jaws
patroled the deck, kept his eyes resolute-
Nv fixed on an imaginary point six PAGES
in front of him. And all this time it grew
colder.
The captain of the Don lingo in his
great-coat. consulted the executive officer
in an ulster. They couldn't understand
The ever increasing chill Nor was the
puzzle lessened when the chief engineer
sent up word that ice was rapidly form
ing in the starboard draught condenser,
and that the boiler pumps were clogged
with lev needles. And all this time a raw,
off-shore wind swept the decks. The cap
tain. who was an affable man, as well as
a dark and revengeful enemy, approach
ed the hostages and was about to ask
them if they had brought their wraps with
them. when they turned upon him such
a chilly stare that he felt the very mar
row of his bones grow cold.
With difficulty he moved away on his
benumbed feet and was Immediately con-
fronted by the boatswain.
''Sir." said the latter in choice BIccay-
an 1--WE won't do any bombarding to-
dav. The powder is frozen go hard that
Won can't cut il with an AK"
Don't tryr roared the captain. wen
oct ont of this as quick the Lord will
let us l don't intend TO be frozen up stiff
in this internal climate! Send those gl-girls
ashore and Wen up anchor and away?
twenty minutes later the warships were
steaming rapidly southwark, and the maid
ems were on shore telling their overjoyed
friends how they had frozen out the dread
invaders.
ma. and the captain of the Don lingo y
sarsapareelah may never know how they
converted their ships into floating refrig-
orators by taking on board those coldly
chaste Boston damSels.