Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-28
WAS It FRIEND OR FOE2
The Porter Had One Of Her Tor
pedoes Ready.
NEW YORK'SCLOSE CALL
Mistake in Signals Almost Cost as
Many Lives as the Maine
Disaster

New York. Sept ga mistake in sig
mails by which, for q iloment, the fate of
800 American jackies and officers hung in
the balance-a pause but for which the tor
pedo-boat Porter would nave blown the
flagship New York to bits. The story is
told now by E. w. McCready, CORE
spondent of the New York Herald and the
Chicago Times-Herald. who WAS on board
the Porter and who was pledged to Sc
crecy so long as active operations against
the Spanish continued. But now that the
wal is over he has been released from his
promise and tells for the first time the
story of an episode which is still spoken
of only in whispers in naval circles.
Saved by Frernout's Caution.
The New York and the Porter met one
night during the blockade of Havana UNI
der strange circumstances which would
have justified either in destroying the 9th
er. Ihe tOrpedo-boat lay so close under
the cruisers side that one could have
tossed Il biscuit against it. One turn Of 4
wrist and the New York and her crew
must have met the fate of the Maine ma
her gallant men.
But, inviting death while he waited,
Lieut.. John G.. Fremont of the Porter
hailed one more-a lions voice ringing
clear above the churning screws and hum
ming blowers-and that final hail ayerted
the catastrophe.
1t is memorable that duty scarcely de-
manded this last warning.
There are some things about it which
have never been explained 1t appears
that the New York was some distance
from her biockading station. For the rest
the fleet was displaying nc lights except
an occasional electric signal. The night
was dark. Ceryeras ii1et was not "c-
counted for, and his cruisers and destlut-
ers were expected at any moment. 1ne
Porter was On scout duty, and, more I'M
portant yet, the usually infallible night
signal apparatus Of the New York Played
Sampson false for once and brought hlm
and all who sailed with him nearer to
death than they had been before or since.
Duty of the Porter.
1t was the Porter's business to prevent
any Spanish vessel from creeping up on
the b~lOckading squadron unawares. The
American ships at all hazards must be APP
prised Of the approach of an enemy. The
Ardois system of signal lights includes Il
signal which, flashed for Il second IN the
darkness. means "enemy's vessel in sight,
That might be used if the scout were
within signal distance of SIMPSONS ships
when he discovered a hostile craft. But
as fog and darkness are pre-emlnently the
conditions favorable for toperdo work, the
Porter's business was to investigate the
character Of every strange ship, and. II
satisfied that she was Spanish, to blow
her up.
When we rounded up the New York
that night there was every reason TO be-
lieye that she was one of Cerveras ships,
at least for a few fearful seconds, and
Lieut.. Fremont was between " tears
one that he might allow an enemy TO
escape, the other that he might destroy a
friend.
System of Signal Lights.
On that dark blockade the American
ships recognized one another in TWO ways
one being the position in which a YES
sci appeared. which should be her night
%blockading station. and the other beng
an .Ardois signal. which was changed
from night to night. So if, for instance,
the New York, cruising slowly westward,
sighted another ship running without
lights and not occupying one CT the block
aiding stations. she would fash. let us
say. two red lights above n white one.
If the stranger answered properly and
promptly. the New York could go about
her business. Otherwise the batteries
would be manned, a signal warning all
vessels within signal distance wOuld be
set. and the flagship would close in and
get the strangers range.
When the POrter'S lookout first got a
glimpse of the huge hulk of the battle
ship a hot was promptly fired across
the strangers DOW.
Foe it seemed she was, for our guns
were turned on her. and the port torpedo
was ready to leap from its tube and do
for her what we expected she would do
for us in a second or two.
Then the voice of the POrter's COM
mander rang out:
"What-ship-is-thatF'
No anSWCr.
EEEiro acrOSS her bOyyn
Bang! went our bow gun, and the metal
ratified as the men showed another shell
home and trained the piece again.
"Show the night feet signal" Fremont
said, and it flashed again-two white
lights above a red one. We were under
the strangers quarter now close aboard.
For one of rs there was no escape. AT
that range a torpedo must destroy the big
ship inevitably,
Fires Upon the Porter.
A second after our signal burned the
strangers signal mast blazed and there
hung an answering signal, but not the
right one. Instead of two white lights
and a red one there burned two red ones
and a white one. For a moment it flashed
through Fremont's mind that an enemy
might be attempting to use the American
signals. There was no time to think about
it.
There was a flash from the strangers
forward fighting top and a shell Whistled
over us. Some man in the top had fired
without orders, it seems. but of that we
knew nothing. We saw only the flash Of
the gun and believed that rifles and ma
chine guns would be Kidding US a second
later. The big guns coulG not De depressed
enough to bear ON us, so close we were.
Fremont had been hailing at the mo-
ment and his face had been turned away
from that top from which the gun was
fired.
Did that shot come from herr" he
shouted.
Yes. sir said a jackie and 1 in the
| same breath.
For a second perhaps Lieut.. Fremont
stood still and silent and his men and
those on the decks high above us held
their aim and their breath, and waited fer
a word which would turn loose a torpedo
from the Porter and a hail of fire from
the flagship.
Passing of the Crisis.
In that long second Fremont, holding
the great cruiser at his mercy. even more
than the cruiser held us at hers wniUho6