The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-10-26
ODD BATTLE OF SONGS
ONE NOVEL INCIDENT OF THE NAVAL
WAR OF 1912.
How a Vocal Contest Between
Batch OF Yankee Prisoners and "a
British Crew Endcd-Noise of Roll
ing shot ms n Punishment.


ing shot ns n Punishment.
IL have been In number of full
nedged naval actions myself and in
many more scrimmages," said a ven
cradle man-of-war's man the other
day, $50 l am entitled TO know some
thing about the subject, but | am free
to confess that the strangest fight on
the high seas / ever heard about was
one in which my father took part when
he was a prisoner in the War of 1872.
My father when young man enlisted
on the American privateer Prince de
Neufchatel, which, as you may know,
was one of the most famous privateers
in our second war against Great Brit
ain and which was finally run down
and captured by three of the biggest of
the British war frigates.
"The crew of the Prince de, Neuf-
chatel was divided into three patches,
my father being in the one that was
placed aboard the Leander, Sir Georges
flagship. After being relieved of all
their baggage the prisoners We're stow
ed away in the stuffy cable tier. AS
the squadron was several weeks from
its destination and the prisoners were
allowed to come up on deck only for
a few hours each day, the problem of
killing time was serious one. How
some of it was killed my fathers
own words, as set down in his diary as
follows, will tell:
"'Many of the first hours each night
We're spent in story telling, singing or
'rigging" one another, all joining in to
help pass the burdensome hours. The
singing was made up of such songs as
seamen generally learn by heart, but
In our case most of the songs We're
commemorative of our recent naval
victories over the English.
"'One night 1t was understood that
our naval songs were not rellshed by
the officers in the British frigate This
only brought about others with n loud.
er chorus and an extra hurrah for Yam
kee thunder. In order to stop the an
noyance the English picked out half a
dozen of their best singers on board
the Leander, who were backed by sew
eral dozen shipmates to join in the
choruses. They stationed themselves
around the open hatchway over our
heads and began singing patriotic Eng
lish naval songs.
1--WE allowed them to finish their
songs, when we struck up with one in
opposition extolling the glories of the
Yankee navy, each one of us striving
to outdo his shipmate, especially in the
chorus. Knowing that the character of
our country was at stake and that it
depended much upon our management
and zeal whether 1t should be upheld
in the face of our enemies, we strove
accordingly to do our best as it's repre-
sentatives. The contest was kept I'D
for some time, evidently to our advan-
tage not only in the quality of the sing
Ing, for in this our opponents could
not hold their own for moment, but
as to the number and variety of the
songs, they having run out ofstheir vic
tories over the Yankees before our par
ty was fairly warmed up to the fight.
"That they might not flag in the
contest they took up the songs, "The
First Of June" Battle of the Nile"
besides many others in which we felt
not the least national interest, and we
did not fail giving them the hint in
plain English that they were lodging
the issue as first agreed upon. This
they cared far less for than they did
for the home thrust victory over them
from the Yankees to each one of theirs
over the French and Spanish.
"'At last our fire became so warm
that they were compelled to back out
OF the contest, chopfallen. And they
had the satisfaction of having their
defeat announced to all on board by
three times three cheers, accompanied
by handclapping and such other noises
as each one of us could invent. Word
now came from the deck that such
noises could not be tolerated and that
we must be quiet. This only aroused
the prisoners to greater exertions, max
ing what was singing before yelling
now, as discordant as sixty loud
.throats could make them, each tuned
upon key peculiarly his own.
SIN few minutes the officer of the
deck came down and with must blus-
tering and many threats declared that
II order was not maintained resort
would be had to unpleasant means. If
the most savage tribe of Indians had
Gt once broken loose in terrific war
whoop 1t could not have been louder
than the yells of defiance that came
from the prisoners on the conclusion
Of this officers speech. He then tried
to reason on the absurdlty of prisoners
persisting in the unequal contest, say
ing that "the order of the ship must
and shall be maintained. If by no
other means, I will order the marines
TO fire into the hold and when too late
you will learn your folly?'
"'Had this advice been rendered pre-
viousIy to the threatenings it might
have had the desired effect. But it
was now too late. Advice and threats
were alike thrown back with the ut
most scorn and contempt. One big,
A~axypu Vonlaa mhn xuoa Oh N