The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-06-12
WHEN HE is REAR ADMIRAL.
Midshipman Kimball Will Remember
the Lad Who Saved His Life.

Il was wondering whether in that crowd
of 100000 that oheered the men OF the
Atlantic fleet when they marched through
the streets of San Francisco recently there
was one who had ever heard OF George
Brennan said sailor OF the battleshil
New Hampshire yesterday 10 brother
iacky of the cruiser Tacoma. They were
Two of group that had gathered in the
reading room OF the Naval Young Men
| Christian association in Sands street,
Brooklyn, and were talking about the good
times their brothers OF the Atlantic fleet
were having on the Pacific coast.
| In the reading room crowd were three
or four sailors from the New Hampshire,
two or three from the Tacoma, and a man
or so from the submarine tiotila now at
the New York navy yard. They were all
seasoned jackies, and were lett at home
when the great fleet sailed because some
body had to stay behind to man the SHIPS,
large and small, that were lett IN the AT
lantic.
They were rejoicing over the splendid
showing made by their fellows on the
other side of the continent, and more than
once referred to the interview gwen out
by the secretary of the navy few days
ago, in which he said that 10000 better
behaved or neater appearing young men
could not be picked at random from the
college men of the United States than the
10000 who manned the l6 big battleships
on the greatest voyage in naval history.
These men in blue all wished that they,
too, were with the boys in the Pacific, but
the wish was not an envious one. They
are proud of the record made by their
more fortunate brothers. They spoke In
affectionate terms of Admiral Evans, who
has seen his last duty as commander on
the seas; of Capt. "Dick" Wainwright,
the famous commander of the Gloucester,
destined now for greater honors; OF Ad-
miral Sperry, the diplomatic and popular
successor of Admiral Evans, and of Me.
Crea, the tender-hearted commander OF
the Georgia, who is loved like father by
every man who ever served under HIM.
But it was of the deeds of their own en-
listed brothers that they talked the most,
and when the story of how George Bree-
man saved the kearsarge was told every
body agreed that he was entitled to a
place near the top of the roll OF honor,
Brennan is now warrant officer on the
Kansas. He got his promotion by one OF
the most heroic acts that grace the rec
ords of the service aiioat. 1t happened
about two years ago in Cuban waters, at |
the time of the turret explosion on the |
KearsaIge in which two officers and nine
men were killed. In the words Of a New |
Hampshire bluejacket this is how he did
it,
'Breeman was Just sailor then, and
nobody outside of his shipmates had ever
heard of him, but when the time to think
and act came he was right there, as this
story will prove When the explosion oc..
cured in the forward l3-inch turret OF
he Kearsarge, Brennan was at work IN
he ammunition room under the turret.
Brennan realized instantly that some ac-
,ident had happened, but did not know
what it was until part of the burning
.harge that had blotted out those ii lives
lropped down from the turret into the
handling room where he was. The door
this room with the magazine
vas open and moments delay meant the
ertain loss of the Kearsarge.
odd George take it on the run? He did,
nd went in the direction which led to
he magazine. He knew that great charges
f powder were stored in that room, and
hat if the fire ever reached them 1t
you'd be all over with the ship. Through
he sitting powder smoke that poured
nto the handling room he dashed head
ong in the direction of the magazine. Il
'dThe fame was within few inches OF
he door that stood between the Kear-
arge and oblivion when Brennan stagger