The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-01-11

tons Of the heavy cannonading. in
creased a thousandfold by the conduc-
tivity Of the steel decks overhead.
"Niver mind the coal, byes" shouted
the giant eXuberantly. yet making no
move toward relinquiSling his forlni-
dable weapon. SIN wild the margoncy
sthuff! And may the saints In hivin
help the man that gets To worruk iaSht
of all!'' he added piously.
Partly from habit, Il little by reason
of shame, but mostly through the de-
sire Of evading the certainty OF Pat
sey's terrible blows, the stokers now
stuffed their furnaces with that mys-
FERROUS compound of cotton waste, oil,
resin, and what not, known as ''emer-
gency fuel" Its effect was ut once
apparent. The steam gauges fairly
leaped, while the intensely hot flames
belched outward in spite of latched
doors and licked the metal ceilings for
half their breadth
Once again the ship staggered be
meath the shock of the cncmy's can
nonadc.
whats the matter wild our gun
ners:" suddenly demanded one of the
most unruly workers. "rhey'vc scarce
ly fired ut all, and we've been takin'
rounds 10y the hundred"
Its dishabled all our peppers be,
darlint," cried ratsey joyously, so we
i'm t,, In 1,lnnlbN an III.
With a howl like IL pack of hungry
wolves the iircmen rushed in body
for the ladder of exit.
"Rhun fur all yer worth, Dyes" com
mentcd Patsey, half under his breath
as he leaned upon his weapon and
made no further effort toward restrain
ing them. It's little | care now that
the shame be up, fur If she don't sink
uS-bad cess to her. well do the thricH
fur her, and it'll be more by the same
token if we don't both of us go to the
botham anyhow. Iowly murthcr-that
iver | should'-
With the sound of rending plates and
crashing superstructures, the ship heel
ed far over to port, then righted and
commenced to roll regularly from side
to side. Suckers, Patsey, the injured
lieutenant and all the debris of the fur
mace room We're thrown III Il single
heap with small regard for their per-
sonal convenience
Up in his coming tower Lieutenant
Beresford looked mournfully out
through the eye Sits.
1T seems cold blooded work. but
then they would play ducks and brakes
with my rifles" he murmured as he
noted the huge rent in the opposing bat
tleship's side, with the water pouring
into it like mill sluicc. Then he
dashed hastily back through the over
tapping passageway that led out of his
safe nook and gave the order, "All
hands to save life
But without boats, life buoys or even
ropes this matter was not capable of
being conducted very satisfactorily.
"Encmys flagship has hauled down
ensign, and the others are following
her lead, SIR reported one of the petty
officers
Not till that instant did Bercsford
notice the complete cessation of the
cannonading. The battle was over, and
the American feet had won the day,
Far different from the trinity painted
and polished, spick and span craft
which had sailed away from port so
proudly and defiantly some few short
weeks ago were the cluster Of battered
and shattered steel hunks tossing and
wallowing about in the heavy sea.
But the saddcst scenes of all were
within their ruined classmates and
had best not be described
"IIello" remarked Hughes as he
picked his way among the dead and
wounded what on earth has this
man got around him."
ITS Obadiah Todds, SIR" replied the
orderly, bringing his hand to the sa-
lutte. 1T was his own invention. A
bullet proof coat, sir"
"EhT shifted the surgeon grmly.
"And spent piece of shot has rico
chetted from the deck ana driven some
of the body armor into his vtals. II
he had only been stripped like the rest
1t would have been n simple confusion
AS it is, the nan is practically as dead
as a doornail"
Upon the return to port of the vic
tOrious American fleet a number Of the
seamen and marines were made blind
drunk by well meaning but rather too
enthusiastic civilians. incidentally this
resulted in the dishonorable discharge
from the United States service of Il
red neckerchiefed stoker named Pat
sey