The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-15

which once experienced at sea, upon the
sight o. A single American dag l am fuiiy
aware that ali Of us are more or less say
age in cur natures. but I caancs recall
thar I ever experienced such thrill or
savage exGstafion ard sxaltatioD as I dbl
when clapped eyes upon this lSn~ AnasTl-
can dag. In the center % the low. laUga-
ing Pacific.
My saip was returning from Japan 20
the United States i've years aga We had
been on The Csfna station for over three
years. and most OF us. forward As well as
aft. were pretty lonesome. as yeu may
fancy. for a sight Of this smiling land Of
ours. We were eight days ont from feko-
hama making for Honolulu 10 coal ship.
when We were overtaken by the Fourth OF
July. All the sAips In the American navy.
you remember, are dressed with bunting
from stem 10 stern on Independence day,
whether the chips are at anchor or at sea,
In any quarter Of the globe. Our signal
quartermaster made an especially beautiful
job OF ship dressing on this Fourth OF july.
and. with cur l0p-foot Unconstitutional
pennans streaming nat with the fresh
breeze. don't doubt that we made brave
and beautiful picture viewed from dis
lance were there only few ships in the
eifing 10 view as. But We seemed 10 be
absolutely alone In mid Pacific During the
first three or four days of our homcward
bound cruise out Of Japan. We had run
across a few ships. all dying the British
flag. bat ON this sunshiny Fourth OF July
morning we seemed 10 he quite alone on
the sea- We were all lolling about the
decks, somewhat stupidity. along about 10
O'Clock in the morning, after inspection
talking about where We intended putting In
our detached time, after the ship went Out
OF commission.
"a saii!' sang out the boy In the look
out.
'Whereawayr shouted the officer OF the
deck, and you may believe that We were
all attention to catch the compass points
sung out by the lad aloft.
The sail was y skys'l. sttll and tiny as
the link in iady's lorgnetse chain. on the
outermost verge OF the southeastern hort-
zon. Yet all of us aft took the poop for IL
with our glasses. and the men up forard
damned the to'gallans, fe'c'sle and strained
their eyes for the SAIL which was making
for us. sailing ship approaching you at
sea from the far horizon seems TO make
at you In bounds when you yourself ara
driving for her. and by the time We took n
second long look AT the approaching ship
her huge royals bellied out by the fresh
breeze. shone clear and brilliant In our
eyes. reflected by the bright morning sun.
But by the time we could make out the
royals We had no time for them. Our gaze
was focused on the bit OF bunting al the
matn-sha Stars and Stripes OF cur repuh-
| lie. I think a bit OF a chill ran over the
| spines of all OF us when We saw that 1t
| seemed such a deviiishly beautiful idea,
| tha,--the flag bounding slap at Us right out
| OF the middle of the Pacific, and OF all
| mornings on this Fourth OF July morning.
This IL good. this Ia good muttered
| the old skipper q trihe hoarseiy. and then
| the huh Of the approaching ship danced on
| the amethyst horizon for us, her code OF
| signals tluttering.
| "'The Shenandoah. out of Bath shouted
the signal quartermas,er from the bridge
| "You ought to have heard the men up
| forward. bless their m.schieyous, generous
| souls They let out a whoop that rang
| around the circle of indigo sea like a VAL
| halla shout of victory, and fear we were
| bit undignified aft. for ona Of the senior
| watch officers alongside Us on the poop de-
| liberately threw his cap to the deck. thrust
| both of his arms In the air and emitted A
| series of howis that were calculated n
| make the voice Of our siren seem small by
| comparison.
"'Does she wave?' he howied. Well.
| does she wave7'
| '.The Shenandoah. probably queen OF all
| the clippers in the world. bore down upon
| us with every thread Of her canvas set and
| drawing--as beautiful a picture as any man
| ever sees I'm this world. And there. futter-
/ ing far above her main skys'i. swapping In
| the breeze and waving grandy with tho
| dips and leans OF the great ship-the flag!
| II would he hard to describe the feeling We
| all experienced when the Shenandoah swept
by within 100 yards OF us. Her crew just
as much pleased as were. and she did
/ not wait for us TO dip. bu: Just az she
| swung by us like princess IN the pride OF
| her hnery again and again Was the banner
| dipped I'm reply TO cur banner-dipping at
| the mixxen and the clippers crew. ranged
| along the weather rati mingled their
| hoarse shouts with the tremendous cheer
1 ing Of our man-o'-var's men.
when a man sees the nag OF his native
/ land under circumstances like these tho
| rnananry OF Il IL going 10 abide with him -