The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-12-03
A BATTLE PICTURE.
stirring scenes ON Board the Bat
teship Texas AT Guam
tnnamo.

"Hello," said the man beside me. II
guess | came pretty near being shot"
We stood on the quarter deck OF the
Texas at Guantanamo. The marines a
few hundred yards away were moving
through the thick cover in skirmishing
order, driving the Spanish guerrillas
before them, and across the water came
the continual splitter of their rifles.
Puffs of white smoke cleaned for an
instant against the green foliage and
faded. A roar came from the rayine in
advance of the marines occasionally,
telling that Commander McCalla, who
had taken the Marblehend to position
enabling him to direct thanking fire
upon the Spanish, had dropped another
shell where il was needed.
The picture was an absorbing one
But when the man beside me said he
had nearly been shot | forgot the ma
rines instantly and turned 10 ask about
II. realizing that If he had nearly been
shot | must have been, too. He pointed
10 the deck at his feet A Mauser bullet
had gouged piece out of it, and the
wood beneath showed clean and new.
NtNtldl Va Ns b'Ndilit III -
gun shield Of improved pattern right
after that, but It was uncomfortable
there, for Capt. Philip and the officers
about him were too busy scanning the
smoke-topped ridge TO notice "A mere
rifle bullet, and we came out from the
shelter to see the rest of the piece.
Then queer thing happened. The
Spanish moved n gun down 10 the shore
across the bay opposite TO that in
which the marines were busy and
opened fire without giving notice of
motion.
Then the Texas belched smoke and
flame. first on one side at the newly
posted gun, then ON the other, pouring
shrapnel into the cover toward which
the marines were advancing An armed
collier added the music of her guns.
The sputter Of rifles was heard ON both
sides OF MS, and on the flank Numbered
McCalla of the Marblehead.
1t struck me that Capt Philip, OF the
Texas, must have more on his hands
than one man could possibly attend 10,
so went TO see how he was succeed
ing. He was getting his own marines
and his machine guns into boats TO re-
enforce the hardpressed men on the
hill. He had seen that their situation
was serious. To the fighting he paid
no attention, apparently, but glance
here and there told him that his officers
were carrying out his orders. He had
no thought of stray bullets, that was
plain. And he was not Go be deceived.
young officer, bit excited, told
him some Spanish troops were visible
beyond the crest Of the ridge
Up went the busy captains telescope.
1t was leveled for an instant only.
Nonsense, he said Those are our
fellows, not Dngoes."
And that night when the camp OF tho
marines was surrounded on three sides
by Spanish riAemen, the men and ma
chine guns. which Capt Phiip toiled TO
get ashore that afternoon while bullets
sang and batteries were roaring, helped
20 sweep back the enemy and avert n
disaster. Perhaps the aid he sent was
Just enough TO turn the scale.
So now. when think of that spirited
battle picture at Guantanamo, / see in
the foreground a busy man who could
weigh we'll all the duties which pressed
for attention in the roar of battle. and
tell which was of paramount impor-
tance-St. Louis Republic.