The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-01-04
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I by MS captain. DGl sllli-.Oilowing The
blood strain which has given us sewing
machines, typewriters and thousands
of other similarly useful articles in
spite of much more serious obstacles
than their simple announcement by an
Otticial-Obadiah cherished his project
as tenderly as ever.
81 really believe that our whole COM
pany has gone crazy upon the subject
Of Improvement in the latest improved
modern methods of naval warfare" re-
marked Captain Beresford somewhat
irritably to his aid, who had just en-
tered the cabin. THE ships tailor Is
the latest enthusiast. He has just been
to see me about having the men sup
piled with a crazy kind Of bullet proof
coat that he has had patented. Had a
model Of the thing with him too. Lot
Of big steel spangles like, sewed on
| thick felt. Something Oh the idea OF
| old chain armOr, only Todds' variety Of
| it looked more like fish scales than any
| that the men about the superstructure
are well nigh unprotected, but how on
earth can you ask the enemy to fire
| only small arms ut that particular
spot? And Todds Is just about the tif-
teenth today so far! One Of the gun
ners mates proposed kind of an
| auger arrangement that was to be fit
| ted upon the head of the shell, SO that
| it would drill clean and clear right
through one side of a ship and out the
other And then there has been Brown
| son with u wild and weird species of
vernler for the range finders, and L0-
| pincourt with something else Any
body would think that was the assist
ant secretary Of the navy by the way
| they come after me-"
And Lieutenant Mortimer discreetly
Kept in his pocket the diagram of Il
new and marvellous fleet evolution
which he had spent the night hours of
many weeks in formulating and con
versed upon strictly nonprofessional
topics with his chief.
| Now, the specific order of the navy
department had so decreed that the
| gallant United States battleship Rhode
Island should be one Of a fleet dis
patched to contest the enemy's pas
sage. After many weary days Of
watchful cruising one of the fast little
dispatch boats came scurrying back to
the main body with the news that there
was big bank of smoke to windward.
Almost Immediately strings Of colored
! flags began going up and down upon
the signal halyards Of the American
vessels, tall black arms wigwagged
from the bridges like inspired scare
crows and little steam launches darted
hither and thither through the fleet.
The rather struggling procession of
warships lined up with much greater
accuracy Of interval and its course
changed 50 as to head directly toward
the suspicious bank Of smoke.
! Some little while after another small
craft, an unprotected cruiser this
time, came back to report the enemy
as actually close at hand. The dimin-
utive warship's flag signals were
scarcely necessary to establish this
last fact, however, for one of her two
stubby masts was among the missing,
and a portion of her superstructure
had been cleared away with all the
nicely Of which chance shot at long
range is capable.
The percentage Of SCATTERING as
against incised wounds will be very
large" argued Hughes in a sleeful
tone of voice. with one or two good
cases involving the complete severance
Of the carotid artery, T. To judge
| from their conversation at the mess
table one might almost imagine that
the chief surgeon and his assistant re
garded the coming action as one espe-
cially designed to increase their store
| Of professional knowledge.
Did you see Hutton when you were
aboard the Midget this morning."
| queried Mortimer of Lopincourt as he
passed the latter desired sauce cruet
YES" replied the one addressed.
poor chap looked awfully white
around the glls, and so We're all of his
people, in fact"
"Seasick. supposeT Intercepted
the other
"Yes,' answered Lopincourt "Thosc
beastly little torpedo craft just throw
themselves about like snappers upon
the tail Of a kite. 1t was all l could do
to hold on, calm as it is today. Hut
ton has lost one of his men already.
Thrown against the edge of the gun
shield. Horrible! Another poor fell
low was SO battered up that took him
with me to the flagship for treatment
Whatever possessed Hutton to give
up his comfortable berth with us and
apply for that command"
"He always was torpedo enthusi-
asst, even when we were at Annapolis
together" replied Mortimer
"By the bye. somebody told me that
he was married OH the very day we
sailed" queried LOpincourt curiously.
us it true?"
YES" replied the other somewhat
stiffiy. "The date had been fixed be-
fore hOstilities were reckoned upon,
and it was carried out accordingly. l
was his best man. He married my
cousin, Lily Rodman."
"You don't say So" CALCULATED Lopin-
court. Cad! How romantic! l remem-
Der having seen Miss Rodman that was.
They must make fine looking couple,
for she certainly Is devilish hand
some girl"
noiselessly about supplying the wants