Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-10-06

I
rope and. besides that, the Ohio, Ten
peSsee, Cumberland. Mississippi and
other great rivers, covering an extent
Of 1000 more miles. were TO be pa
trOllcd. No wonder the whole civilized
world burst into outlaws of laughter
at the seeming impossiblllty. But the
work was done. done almost immedi-
atcly done thoroughly and done with
a speed and consummate skill that
eclipScd all the history Of naval archi'
lecture.
Deeds of Naval Heroes.
! recite today the deeds Of our naval
heroes. many Of whom have not yet
received appropriate recognition. "Be-
hold also the ships" As we will never
know what our national prosperity is
worth until we realize what II cost,
recall the unrccitod fact that the men
Of the navy in all our w9rs ran espP-
cia risks. They Ind not only the hu-
man weap0nry to contend with, but the
tides. tie fog the storm. Not Ike 9th
er ships could they run into harbor at
the approach Of an equinox or cy-
clone or hurricane. because the har-
bois were hostile. 4 miscalculation OF
a tide might leave thcm on a bar and
a fog might overthrow all the plans OF
wisest commodore and admiral, and
accident might leave them not on the
land ready for an ambulance. but NJ
the bottom Of the sea. as Wien in our
civil war the torpedo blew up the
Tecumseh IN Mobile bay. and nearly
all on board persisted. They were at
tie mercy of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans which have 10 mercy. Such
tempcsts as wrecked the Spanish arma-
da might any day swoop upon the
squadron 80 hiding behind the earth
works no digging in Of cavalry spurs
at the sound Of retreat Mightier than
all the forUesses on all the coasts Is
the ocean when it bombards a hotilla.
In the cemeteries for Federal and
Confederate dead are the bodies Of
most Of those who fell on the land.
But where those are who went down
in the war vessels will not be known
until the sea gives up It's dead. The
Jack Tars knew that, while loving
arms might carry the men who fell
on the land and bury them with solemn
liturgy and the honOrs Of war. for the
bodies of those who dropped from the
aulnes into the sea or went down
with all on board under the stroke Of
runboat there remained the shark and
the whale and Tie endless tossing OF
the sea which cannot rest once a
year. in the decoration Of the graves.
those who fell in the land were remem-
bered But how about the graves Of
those who went down at sea? Moth
ing but The archangers trumpet shall
reach their lowly bed. 4 few Of them
were gathered into naval cemeteries OF
The land. and we every year garland
the sod that covers them. But who
will put flowers on the fallen crew Of
the exploded Westfeld and Shawsheen
and the sunken Southheld and the
Winfield Scottl Bullets threatening In
front. bombs threatening from above,
torpedoes threatening from beneath,
and the ocean, with its reputation OF
G.OOO years for shipwreck. lying all
around am I not right in saying it re-
duircd n special courage for the navy
In 1863 as it required especial courage
In 1895:
Christ the Admiral.
It looks picturesque and beautiful to
see n war vessel going out through the
Narrows, sailors in new rig singing,
A lie on the ocean wave,
home on the rolling deep,
the colors gracefully dipping to pass
ing ships. the decks Immediately clean
and the guns at quarantine firing
parting salute. But the poetry is all
gone out Of that ship as it comes out
of that engagement, its deck red with
human blood, wheelhOuse gone, the
cabins a pile Of shattered mirrors and
destroyed furniture. steering wheel
broken. smokestack crushed, n hun
drod pound Whitworth rifle shot hay-
ing left It's mark from port to star
board. the shrouds rent away. ladders
spllntered and decks plowed up and
smoke blackened and scalded corpses
lying among those who are gasping
their last gasp far away from home
and kindred. whom they love as we
love wife and parents and children.
Oh. men Of the American navy re-
turned from Manila and Santiago and
HAVANA. as well az those who are sur
yjyors Of the naval conflicts Of 1868
and 1854. men OF the western gulf
squadron. Of the eastern gulf squad
/ ron. of the south Atlantic squadron, of
the north Atlantic squadron, of the
Mississippi squadron, Of the Pacific
SQUADRON, Of the West India squad
ron and Of the Potomac hotilla, hear
our thanks Take the benedictiOn OF
our churches. Accept the hospitaii-
ties Of the nation. II we had our
way, we would get you not only pen
sion. but a home and princely ward
robe and an equlpage and a banquet
while you live and after your departure
a catafalQue and n mausoleum OF
sculptured marble, with a model OF the
ship In which you won the day 1t is
considered a gallant thing when In
naval fight the flagship with its blue
IL