Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-07-28
ON BOARD A WARSHIP
LIFE on THE cRUlsEli BROOKLYN
orr FORTRESS MONROE.
Things Have Changed Might ~ Since i'eass
Was nroken-The sailors and Men IL
Nothing nut Talk War "a Ysarn Tor
Chance a. the spaniard-
Of - Mouroe. IN /. IS.


on Fort Mouroe, My /. 1898.
As soon as tho news giat war had
been declared reached u.s. the Admiral
Immediately called 200 hands 10 muster
on the quarter deck ~ briefly state
ed the situation and expressed the
greatest confidence 10 0ur givlns q
good account 90 ourselves 90 our coun-
Try wien lhe emergency arose. and
concluded Dbl address By warning Us
90 give no Information al TO the quail
IFS OF quantity of 0uI 6ll6. provisions.
coal ammunition. OF. il .alt. any par.
of orr equipment Bus without dis
olay.nr ibis order ] cla cell you ,ll.
the Brookyna battery Is uroqualel in
power aud Do ODE way We can handle
Or Iy anything chat Spain BIAS afoaL
The general feeling OF tho Vaole clog
is one ol lm1.u.ugs. and you can hear
them my. vu.n asked what they would
lke 90 Do. .WcI just give us a
chancs,"
Everyone BIAS great confidence ln
Commodore schey. and we au look
Tor warm times when ,he hying squad
ron gets down Go work. Since the mo-
ment when the news OF the declaration
OF war reached us the marines on post
all carry loaded rifles and twenty
rounds OF ammunition iu their belts.
AZ night there 10 q guns crew sta
toned az every six FOUNDER. Each
man carries a rifle and sixty rounds OF
ammunition In bis belt while standing
az each gun Is a box OF rapid Gre pro-
ieciles ready for instant use. We can
FIRE the six-pounders about twelve
times a minute and take good aim.
Our rapid fire five inch guns can fire
about six shots a mlnrte. such IS the
dexterity In handling The guns which
constant drill has given to the crew.
Our eight-inoh gun crews have their
business down to so ine a point that
their record Is about two shots every
three minutes. So you can imagine
we're looking anxiously for the Span
iards Just to show that this Is not a
record on paper. but one We can live up
10 when We meet the Dons A. least
we can promise them q good warm
time.
You would scarcely recognize the
Brooklyn Like all the other ships OF
our squadron she Is cle9red for action,
and thoroughly cleared. Everything
movable not absolutely necessary to
the fighting equipment has been sent
below or ashore. Awning stanchlona,
deck houses. everything superauous
/ that you can imagine Is out OF
the way. so as TO give free play and a
clear range for our guns and to prevent
spllnters from working havoc among
our crew when the Spanish shells come
b whlstllng aboard-ihat Ia. n they can
shoot straight enough 10 land them on
; our decks. which / don't believe. So
cleared. the Brooklyn has a totally dir
fereut appearance 10 what she has
when you visited me on board when
she lay Ia the Navy Yard. Then she
looked like a big pleasure yacht more
than anything else-barring the guns
and this Impression was borne out by
the lazy life We then led playing cards
reading and enjoying our afternoon
t. nap But now that s all changed
{ She Is stripped OF almost everything
Z and a mighty ugly appearance she pre-.
D sents Our crew Is nearly always
drilling at something or other until
D at this writing. We are as perfect az
e machines. The spare time. such a,
G We have. Is not spent ln reading OF
doing anything but discussing th'
chances Of a brush with the Spanish
feet After hammocks are plped al
j night We all OF as gather t0gether IL
\ our own little coter.es AID SIT arount
= talking war.
p OF course. the old mln-Os. wars-mer
who have smolled powder are llsiene,
to with great Difference They. som,
Of them. tell some pretty sim yarns
some OF which send O. lito chill M
/, and down the backs of the Younger lei
/, lows Ike myself Bgt tho more vi
\ hear, the more anxious vo are 20 tes
+, our courage face Co a0c with Inc span
. iarda You remember bow noisy th
, berth deck of the United a.as steam
.r A. r.aT o.. N. .rI.. f.t a.