The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-02
RATTLE WITH A Big ANCHOR.
Az Untold EPISODE OF THE
" WAR WITH SPAIN.
,.,,,c.ment Of warship Between a
Gale and Mined Harb0r--Vain Al.
tempt to secure n Loose Anehor-A
russIs That Might Have Cost Us a
rru,ser Just at n Critical Moment.

..ru,ser Just at n Critical Moment.
:, uas inst after the declaration of war
unb spain but before anything definite
~ boen done in the way OF hostilities.
car,modore Schley was at the beginning
>,,bo. long wait in Hampton Roads which
turned his flying squadron into something
dangerously near joke because it did not
O., II was then that came that remark
"ilo wave of hysteria which rolled along the
ya, England coast and filed as much
.noce as the newspapers would give with
s,nrss Of the terrible things the Spanish
,ornedo boats were about to do there, and
caused howl to 20 up for protection.
The effect Of the howl reached Hampton
poads about 0 clock one evening, just
.,hen life in the two big hotels there was
,oknr on its most interesting aspect.
suddenly there appeared In the rotundas
,vo or three very smart young midshipmen
with their swords buckled on. The young
s,ers swiftly sought out a few men here and
there in the groups tnat were walking
or sitting about, and to each one said in
very low voice, 90 that the message might
not be overheard by those for whom it was
not Intended:
4you will return to the ship at once,
cir"
The air of Importance with which this
order was delivered filed those who re-
ceived it with excitement. Every officer
ss he eot his order slipped away from the
hotel as quietly as he could and hurried to
the landing stage where the ships steam
cutter waited In the hurry of it each one
thought that the officers from all the ship 8
If the SQUADRON had been summoned,
and there was the general feeling among
them that at last the emergency for which
the SQUADRON had been held so long in leash
had arisen and the war dogs were to be let
loose.
Aboard ship all was mystery. No one,
not even the Old Man himself, knew where
they we're going. Signal had been made
from the flagship In cipher, that was ALL
They were to get under way at once.
Then as the ship on which the writer hap
pened to be stationed got her anchor and
slowly began 10 move, 1t became apparent
that only one other vessel of the squadron
had received sailing orders. That deepened
the mystery. The two to 60 were the big
fast tin-clad cruisers that had been built
for commerce destroyers. As we passed
one of the fighting bulldogs voice hailed
US from out the darkness, saying
"Good-by. You're going to Paris
That meant. OF course, it 1t were true,
that we were bound for Southampton,
or some place near 1t, to convoy the Ameri-
can liner Paris which was about to sail with
large quantity OF war stores. The junior
strategy board at once convened in the
wsrdroom country and elaborate plans
for the campaign were drawn up and dis
cussed in detail
We had just succeeded in outwitting the
enemy at every point when the signal
officer dropped in and casually remarked
that we were going up the New England
coast to catch those Spanish torpedo boats.
There was a chorus OF SOh pshaw and
the Junior strategy board adjourned with
ont day. 1t didn't seem likely that any
thing exciting would occur on that cruise.
But YOU can't always tell. There was one
incident which never WAS reported in the
newspapers, although 1t would have re-
ceved considerable space II 1t had been.
II was the result of a very picturesque bit
Of warfare, although the opposing forces
we're those Of nature instead OF the Spanish
enemy.
The cruiser to which it happened was
lying off Boston light, IAN de win she blow
an blow an blow. Bimeby she blow some
more" The big S,OOO-pound anchors
failed to hold and the ship dragged down
toward the light.
The wind was blowing straight into the
harbor and there was nothing to do but get
up the anchor and go to sea. The harbor
was mined or believed TO be. and the captain
had no chart OF the mines nor could any
pilot reach him In the storm. The wind
increased to q gale and the sea rose ire
mendously.
As the great waves rolled In the cruiser
bobbed and plunged until it seemed as IL the
big ship we're trying to stand on first one end
then the other. The engines were sent
ahead slowly and the anchor was hauled
clear Then came tho fight.
1t was necessary to get that anchor landed
on deck il the ship was to go to Gloucester.
her next port, where she was due that
day, In order to do that the hundred
pound cat block had to be fastened by the
huge hook which depended from it to the
ring In the balancing band on the anchor
shank 50 that the power of the winch could
be utilized
The great anchor hung 80 that when the
wave rec"ded it was clear OF the water, but
each incoming crest submerged 1t several
feet. As the ship tossed on the waves there
was great danger that the enormous weight
Of the anchor would send it through her
thin plating
But with seas big enough to rocket the
ship about as easily as if she were but n
nshlng float, and to swing that anchor back
and forth like the pendulum Of toy clock,
Il was no child's game to hook the cat block.
Aman lay along the anchor davit and did his
best TO direct the block so that as IL swung
toward the anchor the hook would catch in
the ring, but try as he might he could not
succeed
The spray dashed over the bow of the ship
In torrents that never slackened and every
minute or 40 as the ship plunged forward
she shipped a great green sea that rolled
tons OF water across her deck. Yet in spite
OF That II was necessary for some one to go
over the side 10 fasten the cat block.
Two men were chosen, each a beautiful
specimen OF the American sailorman. just
under the arms of each line was made
last and men on deck stood ready to haul
away in case of need.
They watched their chance, and when
the ships head was well out Of water, over
they went, They had hardly reached the
anchor when wave rolled in that surged
10nr feet above their heads When it