The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-02-15

| doesn't concern you. The first maj
that starts to leave this tire-room viii
be shot He showed the door back
and we saw that two marines with car
bines had been stationed in the runway
outside. At sight of them 4 sense OF
deadly fear came over me. There was
to be no escape for us.
The pipes screa med again: and sud
denly, like thunderclap, the near, tre'
mendous report Of one of our twelve
inch guns in the forward turret shook
the big ship to her keel, and made all
the electric bulbs wink. An after fur.
ret gun chimed in, and then, one after
another, the six rapid-fre guns spoke
ont along the whole starboard side.
We knew from this that the japanese
were on that side of US.
1T was now one continuous roar
from the Borodino and from the Suva'
rolf, Imperator, Orel, Osliabia, and
the whole fleet; while like distant re-
frain now and then came the dull
boom of the japanese guns. Their
ships were two or three miles away.
"But as minutes passed, my first fear
and excitement abated somewhat. No
harm appeared to be coming to us.
took heart little. The third engineer
came down again to speak to the head
fireman. They haven't hit US yet he
said. we may pass them by. But the
Suvaroff is getting it hot. She's afre!
"He had scarcely gone when we felt
heavy shock against the side, accom-
panied by loud explosion. The ship
reeled over, then rolled to and fro
heavily. 1t was Japanese shell.
1--WE got it that time" exclaimed
Finn.
"The pipe screamed and we piled In
the coal, but just as We closed the
doors another shell struck and explod-
ed astern-an awful crash! Again the
ship rocked, and soon we felt her yaw-
ing. The forced draft went off so
suddenly that our ears futtered. Then
the screws stopped.
"Order after order come down the
speaking-tubes, and Immediately the
second engineer rushed into the fire.
room and ordered the dampers all
closed. No one told US anything, but
a rumor went round that the steering
gear was disabled. The Borodino was
helpless, and had stopped to prevent
colliding with the Osliabia.
"The flre-room at once grew hot
enough TO scorch us. No air was
coming down. We stood and painted,
then yelled for the blower. A mo-
ment later q third she'll penetrated the
armor amidships, and exploded with
IN even worse crash than the others.
Roarse shouts and the cries of wound
ed men followed. None Of the guns
We're fired after that. This last shell
had disabled both sets of ammunition
hoists. The Borodino lay helpless, I'M
able to fire, unable to move ahead.
Big Mac was for making a break, but
the sentries had their carbines cooked,
and the head fireman kept calling out
to us to stand By and keep steady. By
shouting up the tube, he finally got a
blower started.
"All the while we could hear the
enemy's rapid-fre projectiles striking
the upper works like hailstorm. Their
guns sounded nearer, now that the
furnaces were still. The time seemed
endless.
after long While one Of the hoists
was repaired, and two Of the; large
guns began firing again. This went
on for a long time. Two of the Jap
anese ships seemed to have singled
out the Borodino. More than twenty
shells struck US. The after turret
was wholly wrecked. The passages
below were now full of skulkers from
the gun crews. Officers, shouting exc
crations, came down and drove num-
bers of the runaways back to the guns.
after long time steam was put on,
and the vessel moved slowly ahead for
q while, then stopped again. We
opened the drafts. A rumor came in
that they were going to run her ashore
and blow her up.
"Soon after this another she'll pene-
trated the armor. just abaft the coal
bunkers, and exploded there with a
fearful conclusion. The pungent smoke
and gas came through into the fire
| room. AS there was nothing to do be-
fore the furnaces, Sam Lafayette and
I crept back into the bunkers, and
| there We could plainly hear water COM
ing in. We reported this to the head
fireman. but he bade us hold oul
tongues.
1T was past time for the other shift
to come on, but no bells were struck
and no shift was made. 1t was ru
mored that many Of the other firemer
were killed forward
Night came Oh, and for a time the
enemy's fire ceased. The Borodino lay
hove to. Dy the hammering. fore and
aft, We supposed that the officers wert
trying to make repairs. Not long after
that we noticed that the ship had {
slight list to starboard. Two pumps
were started. There was good heaG