The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-15
ONLY A "GALLEY YARN"
A Gulleless Marine Reporter Hears Things
OF the keRrsarse.

The gunners on the Kearsarge were
anxious yesterday to connect with the
reporter who was responsible for story
which cast reflections on their shooting
on the target ranges south Of Gay Head,
whence the squadron off Tompkinsvile
has lust come. The Alabama carried
of the honors OF the practice. establishing
a new record Of fifteen hits out of sixteen
shots with her 19-inch guns at 1, 600 yards.
The exact records Of the various gun crews
won't be- known until Rear Admiral
Barker's reports OF the target practice
reach Washington, but the crew OF the
Kearsarge ~ pretty sure that even II they
didn't equal the Alabama's wonderful
performance with the big guns they struck
pretty high general average.
Anyway, Rear Admiral Sands has said
that they handled the 5-inch guns as rapidly
as 8-pounders and with an accuracy that
he called really startling After this
high praise it was not pleasant for the
men to see in print on the morning after
their arrival in port that "the gunners
Of the kearsarge scored six hits out liz
shots" This statement was backed up
by a wild yarn which explained that the
men, in revenge for grievances Of long
standing, had determined to make as poor
a showing as they could and to this end
had thrown overheard all the lenses OF the
telescope gun sights, thereby making
expert mark smanship impossible.
The outcome of this and other mutinous
conduct on the part of the crew, the story
said, was that the Kearsarge left Gay Head
with 100 OF the ships company in the brig
The brig, even most land-lubbers know
is little cell hardly big enough for two
men to turn around in. AS soon as the
printed story got aboard the Keasarge
yesterday the ncn-commissioned officers
got together and deputized the chief war
rant officer to go ashore as spokesman Of
the crew and offer a little real information
to the editors.
Capt. Hemphill said the strongest proof
of the temper OF the men was that out Of q
crew of 7ls men 1872 had been given shore
leave on Sunday and $50 yesterday. When
there is trouble among the men aboard a
man -of-war it shows itself first in the cutting
off Of shore leave. Only three Of the liberty
men overstayed, and Of these two
we're coal passers and the third
PI a.. ua,,,,biu hos bsan in COW
months sap., mem pm laI pre' II, 'o'.'-
mand OF the htarShrSe 'ess IMAM one
hundred OF the ere" nave oo''e ''n'e Ill '''e
brig. s,o.;o ro a.. ,o,.
There was some ,ouI ia 'Sr .ne ,aie
OF the IL l'Ss, o 3 49,, 9TH f,ur hslonning
creant din NUKE away ~, lou, ns,'lS.HH
10 IN" 5-lh'h gum. pi, ,,'S neru edfnS
replaced ana II was ,nls S',ne .m.ne's s Wnna'
did 30 well at me tarert practice, ahouI
40 per cent Oh 'l,e Neal sal ~ Gle~ al
in European waters the Youngsters showed
marked ,asI' I"r M,F,i ~, 'in,, or;aS w., H.,
Improvements on ''e "'eSs f"e'S'' ''"'' 'F
the regu,atlonsI; 1.-Two innovation, by re,erso,
lhey s,aIttT' w, ~ ,S H., ts"
OF the presc'lu'F' 'aSl''"'' y, 'd,IE Wv, 'a a, "
OF their trousers IN ,'a,, ~ ,ss",,'I iso Wv.
process al IN" 3o' ,or1 'Net,,fH anu la ID.
upward 80 ma, we hN. Nn'I,', vo' ~ a, ,,,''
trouser pana 'nr ,'oys LofSea I,a ~, s'i t., ~
lenve with ne rNl'lH Oh me lac'H i1als,s u. a
how from me l'NfN' 'N''''l-' iI'1 !h'ii