The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-24

title by Mr.. Barnes-a book, as he ex-
history"
The American fleet swung on leisure
~, the battle-ships in the van towing
the submarines behind them. Like a
captive school of great porpoises, they
plunged along their steel backs just
awash. At nine o'clock an important
message came trembling over the wires
into the electricians room below in the
'tween-dec of the Arizona. The
enemy had been sighted. They COW
cred a distance half again the extent OF
the American line, so the intervals
We're widened, ard on the fleet went
as heretofore. Six bells had just struck
when Captain Howarth, who was
standing next to Emery, just outside
the curving entrance to the coming
tower. raised his hand.
'Harkr' he said. did you hear
that?''
4 Faint, but distinct, had come jar
airing report-one single shot. An in
&stant later. from the fighting top, there
came hail.
Bridge. there. Four vessels in sight.
"The scouts" said Captain Howarth,
shortly. We'll soon be in it; and
well Keep the old flag flying, the old
way. God help US all!''
THAT We will. SIR" the fag-lieuten-
ant answered, with a deep-drawn
breath.
Throughout the ship the whispering
had ceased. The bugIes rang. The
Admiral in person made a hurried in
spection. The words. he addressed to
oilers and water-tenders, to firemen
and coal-passers, to machinists and
members of the powder division below
the water-1ine. out Of reach of the
hurting, changing death-storm, were
the same that he addressed to the ex-
pectant men standing about the guns;
they We're short, pithy words.
my lads, in less than an hour we
will be fighting Every man who does
his duty, helps. Do yours
By the time he reached the deck the
scouts We're we'll within hailing dis
tance. Slowly circling, they turned in
the same direction as the fleet. Two
were ordered back to the reserve and
two joined the center division. They
brought one important bit of news: the
English fleet was preceded by small
for the slowness with which they were
advancing.
Twelve of the American diving craft
We're now cast off, the Arizona still
keeping hers, the Adder, in tow. The
speed of the fleet was reduced to
about steerageway, and with the sub
marines in front, their presence only
shown by the tops of their persiscopes
and by about ten feet of standpipe, the
great line moved on.
Now black specks and dots appeared
along the horizon, over which hung
dark gray haze. The executive officer,
who, with the others, including the Adj
miral, still stood upon the bridge, spoke
with his glasses at his eyes.
@They are burning Russian OIL he
said. mo, by Cad, some of them are
burning COAL
Captain Howartt, who had been talk
ing to the Admiral, turned to the execu-
tive.
"Mr. Keene.'' he said. almost softly,
'you can hoist the batt1e-hags."
TO every signal yard-arm and to the
trucks climbed little rolls of bunting.
An instant later the flagship was ablaze
with color. The Stars and Stripes fut-
tered out into the air, and the wind,
straight ahead, so that their ripping
folds seemed reckoning, pointing the
way. Every vessel of the fleet followed
the Arizona's example. In the bright
sunlight the sight was magnificent, and
never shall they forget it who lived to
recall it to their memories. The fight
ing tops of the British vessels were
now above the horizon. They, too
broke out their battfe-fags. To the
southwark a few long, black hulls could
just be seen. Still the fleets We're ten
miles apart, and no shot had yet been
fired. A young officer with a range
finder in his hand shouted down from
the military top:
"They are changing direction. sir;
heading in line to the southwark
Admiral Benton turned to the flag
lieutenant and gave him orders to sig
nal the fleet to port their helms and
form in one long line, parallel with
the nemy. a few minutes later both
fleets were proceeding in the same df-
rection, the English line extending be-
yond that of the American almost four
miles. Their intervals We're much
shorter. their order perfect.
The Admiral and the five officers with
him had not yet left the bridge to go to
the conning-tower. Each was counting
seconds over in his mind, momentous
flying seconds. The heavy balanced
turrets had swung about, and the four
great guns, forward and aft, were train
ed athwartship. Yet it was all dead
silence, so silent, indeed, that the foot
steps OF one of the surgeons who had
stayed on deck until the last minute
could be heard distinctly as he hurried
across the deck and trotted down the
ladder to where his cleaning knives
lay out in order on the clean, unused
operating table.
All at once an excited voice came
from the top:
There are the English submarines,