The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-10-26


prisoner.
"'"wait until you fan in with the
Constitution, and you will learn some
thing about firing"
"'"Iurrah for Old Ironsdesr
"'"Three cheers for the gallant Per-
ryw
"'Many such expressions came from
the prisoners. so the officer was COM
PEELED to retire in discontinue, his re-
treat being greeted by nine hearty
cheers.
"T expected unpleasant consequences
10 follow Immediately after his leaving
the hatchway, MS indeed did all the
prisoners whose mad excitement left
them sense enough for a sober thought.
But we were not disturbed for the re-
mainder of that night. The singing
and shouting We're kept up until day
break. not allowing the wardroom Off
GERS a moments rest as they were sit
uated on the deck Immediately above
u.s. We We're told on the next day that
we would be provided for If we per-
sisted in disturbing the ships compa-
ny in their rest.
"'Nothing daunted by this threat
the prisoners began their singing on
the following night as before. The
songs and choruses had gone on for
two hours or more without any notice
being taken of our proceedings when
all at once dozen shots of the largest
size in the frigate Qorty-four pOunders)
were let loose on the deck above us
and left free to roll with the motion of
the ship the livelong night. Scnntling
was so fixed on the deck as TO confine
the area of their rolling to the space
directly over our heads.
"As the shot passed from one side
to the other at each roll of the frigate
they caused low, harsh, thunderlike
rumbling, as deafening, as dreadful
as and more horrible than the booming
of 10000 Chinese gongs intermngled
with as many bell clappers. They
were brought suddenly to standstill
when coming to the scantling and with
n jar and noise but little less than the
discharge of small artillery.
"'In this there was no variation, eX-
cept as they came in contact with each
I other, when the sharp snap of the balls
meeting was enough to split the brains
of us who were underneath with the
advantage of the planks Immediately
above our heads to convey and magni-
fy the rumbling noise as sounding
board hundredfold.
"'Many of us We're determined to
brave it out and let those on deck
/ 81
ty to deal with Some strove hard to
keep up the singing, but the power of
cold shot was greater. Some jeered,
laughed and joked, but the rolling
shot were impervious to all such in
ducements to quit their noise. Some
swore, raved and cursed but the shot
went booming on stupidity, dead to
every alluring Establishment or impre-
cation. Some hallooed, yelled and
whooped. on came the shot, doggedly
Indifferent to it all. Some clustered,
threatened and stormed. Still rolled on
the shot as stoically unconcerned as IL
! it were their legitimate employment.
Some sighed, groaned and roared.
| Rumble-de-bump went on the shot, ut
terly regardless of the throbbing ear
drums and twitching nerves of the
sufferers below.
1.-THE singers, the jokers, the sneer-
ers, the whoopers, the stormers and
the roarers one by one dropped Off till
all in the cable tier were sllenced. FL
nally not one sound was to be heard
save that caused by those dull. heavy
messengers of mortal anguish which
kept on rolling their unceasing rounds,
thereby creating torments fit only for
the damned. l have read somewhere
that the greatest physical punishment
| yet put upon the human frame is that
of being placed in confined position
where water was slowly but constant
| ly dripping, drop upon drop, upon the
bare head of the victim. But l am
sure the originator of this assertion
could never have been in the situation
we We're in that night, with those shot
rolling on the deck so close to our
heads that we could scarcely sit in an
upright position.
"'Ever after this If we continued
our songs later than 10 o'clock the shot
We're set rolling and ceased not until
the songs were hushed. The shot were
an accompaniment neither agreeable
to the performers nor melting to the
hearers and which we were glad to dis
pense with even at the expense Of los
ing the reputation we had so fearless
ly earned by the display of our vocal
talent under the very thunder of Eng
lands heaviest armament, whose deaf
ening roar was only equaled by its
never ceaslng roll, which slackened not
till her every opponent lay low in ST
lence.' '"-New York Tribune.