The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09
OFF TO THE WAR IN SHIPS.
npauaTIC INCIDENT or THE
WEAR We FOUGHT SPAIN.
>obo,,, Knew the Great secret but the
Telegraph Girl. and she kept II for
rwo Wpcks-The Dine Real LOOker-On
nj, N Grand Piece " Theatrleals.

NJ
An who were present when this hap
,aned will recognize at once the accuracy
~ the description and will not need to have
tho location and exact time recalled to them
For those who were not there it is not neces-
sarv TO SPECIFY time and place with mathe-
NAUTICAL dehueness,
The squadron began to assemble about
,our weeks before Congress finally passed
tho resolution which declared war with
ena;, The wall-sded armored cruiser
which was the flagship OF the commanding
osicer arrived NJ the rendezvous several
days ahead Of any of the other ships, and
when the first of tho fighting bulldogs
steamed slowly in and let go her starboard
bower few cables astern Of the flagship
tho cruiser had already shed her coat OF
claiming white and was clad in the sober
grav she wore through all her subsequent
fighting
One by one after that the other vessels
arrived BY the time the first of the bull
dogs had put on war paint one Of the big
tin.clad commerce destroyers had dropped
in and the painting gangs were soon swarm
ing over her sides, So it went until there
were ships enough to make a fairly formid-
able fighting force gathered in the sheltered
waters Of the rendezvous
Two battleships, the big arlnored cruiser
OF the flag officer, the two swift commerce
destroyers, the fast new cruiser bought
abroad and armed with beautiful new O.
inch rifles, and then two or three little fel-
lows OF the mosquito class this was the
squadron that was going out to do stunts
TO the swift Spanish cruisers somewhere
on the high seas, intercepting the enemy
midway on his approach to the American
coast and sending him to the bottom forth
with or bringing him captive home. 1t
was an inspiring thought, and officers and
men thrilled with the expectation of it as
fhey went about their work
1t was a busy squadron in the days Of
early preparation. There was no time
to waste, nor any inclination to lag. II
was touch and go with everybody all the
time. The Commander-inC Chief, a tall,
ine-looking officer, was full Of nervous
energy that permeated the personnel Of the
entire squadron and made itself felt every
where. Gradually the ships were brought
up TO a remarkable state of efficiency.
All day there was sub-calibre practice
on each ship, and the crews of the different
guns were kept steadily at work giving
the gunners the training which subse-
quently left its deadly mark in the trail
of dest ruction that followed the pride of
the Spanish Navy.
But no orders came to 60 out to the fight.
Every ship was prepared to get under way
al the slightest notice Bunkers were
kept full of coal and extra stores of it were
piled about the decks in bags; Store
and men lived from the beach Every
other day the collier came alongside each
ship to replace the coal that had been
burned in keeping up steam. Every day
the boats carried out to each ship the sup
plies that prevented trenching on the store
rooms. The squadron was like a prize
fighter crouched in his corner waiting
only for the sound of the gong to spring
into the ring and beat down his antagonist.
Gradually the suspense of waiting began
! TO show its effect upon the nerves OF the
2feHers Their anxiety to get away was
9kvoaled more and more in little things
slitll there began to be talk among the close
Observers OF danger to the fine efficiency
VI the squadron. The Comma nder- in Chief,
devil when the enemy was in sight, still
maintained his pleasant smile and his
courLly manner, but it was evi dent to all
who watched him that he was feeling the
strain Of the delay.
The big hotels on tho beach were full
of guests, and the wives and families and
sweethearts of the officers we're numerous
among them. Shore liberty for the men
there was none. and officers We're permitted
TO leave the ships for only few hours at
time, and then under orders not TO go
beyond tho limits of the two hotels and
their grounds. They must be ready on
the instant for the recall which might
fiutter from the fore truck OF the flagship
at any moment.
ron was the battleship whose record as the
hoodoo of the ravy was changed to that
OF a mascot by the events OF that summer.
She had met with her last accident in COM
ing Up to the rendezvous, and had been sent
10 Northern navy yard for examination.
While there a new device had been in
stalled in her turrets, which, it was believed
by her officers, would enable the gun crews
10 work tho big rifles much more rapidly
tenn This device was the work of Two of
her officers, who had succeeded in pre-
val!ing, after much labor, upon the Depart
ment TO have IL installed.
Having gone SO far with it they now
desired to have little spin at sea so as
TO try II out under service conditions
Their Captain heartily indorsed their APP
pIication for permission to go tos'a for such
trial, but for some reason it did not sult
the Commander in-Chief to grant the
request Then something happened.
In the way which expert officers OF the
navy know SO we'll how to manage, the
matter was brought to the attention OF
the Department Perhaps it was because
The Department recognized the reasonable
hess Of the request and thought it would
be good thing to try the new device before
he ship actually needed it Ill battle; per-
haps il was only because the Department
knew that there might be nothing serious
Tor the ship to do for some time, but,
whatever the reason there came back To
the squadron, or at least to that ship, by
the mysterious submarine channel, the
report that the request WIS TO be granted
and the ship was to go out for the test.
ihen the knowing wagged their wise heads
and remarked mysteriously that there
would be things doing before long, and 1t
would be worth while to watch.
lew mornings after that, the two news
paper men, who had received permission TO
accompany the squadron, came down 10
breakfast rather late, after n session with the
lunior strategy board that had listed until
ne small hours of the morning They had
been assigned TO quarters on the ships, but
mad not vet gone ahoar to live
II Was az a time when the Commander
h'Chicf WIS ICstered asContinuously as he
would permit by civilians who desired to
20 along and zee the fight and who advanced
one reason Or another to justify their re-
quests. lie had adopted the policy of re-
using everybody. and to assist in carrying
oH' the iiction that no one w6s to go, the