The San Francisco call., 1909-09-12
By WILLIAM ALLEN JOHNSTON

/ his desk typewritten naval report which he
read frequently and always offered in evidence
whenever any question arose bearing upon the fight
ing strength of Uncle Sans navy.
We are very apt in these days of submarines
and submersibes, of torpedoes and desuoyers, of
Dreadnoughts and flying squadrons, to forget that
men still play part in warfare, very important
one despite the highly scientific and effective point
to which ornaments have been advanced.
When England launches battle leviathan
we learn all about its destructive equipment, its
speed, its plate its every mechanical advan-
tage, its guns but hear very little, if anything
at all, about the behind those guns.
This little document in the presidents desk
altogether human in text untechnical in character.
1t spoke, not of battleship, but of
who saved battleship and it confirmed strong
belief in the president that in real warfare ii is the
fighters who count and altogether the equipment
We give them
This document called forth in the regular
order of departmental business brief in character
and is simply the report of explosion the
Missouri signed by the commander, Captain Cowles.
But the president read something between the lines
and saw beyond the pages. and he labeled it What
Monssen Did for the Missouri; and Captain Cowles
moved at the end of the report depart from
the usual dry tone and say this of Monssens Decd
that was most daredevil in its absolute defiance
of death itself"
And this is the story:
On the morning of April IS, 1904 the Missouri
steamed out of the white harbor of Pensacola for
target practice in the bay. Decks were shining
rails elisenng in the clear sunlight and the squads
of white jacketed sailors moved with all the mechan
anioal precision of the gans themselves at the latter
were loaded, rammed, tilted, swung, discharged
Everything orderly, shipshape-when, suddenly
a puff or smoke and yellow fame burst out of the
after turret, followed closely by peculiar mufled
report
A Fatefu Sound
There was mistaking thar suen BOOM 1t
meant explosion OF powder-but vastly more than
that, for beneath the turret the handling room
where the shells and powder sacks were passed up
and to either side the racks where these expo-
sives stored-the powder magazine, containing
tons OF the annihatiHg stuff, enough work havoc
against the entire feet, enough blow atoms the
battleship and the 900 human souls aboard herl
The powder magazines-and just over them fire.
licking flames and dropping sparks
There death knell in that "boom' that
struck home TO every heart Each man knew just
what il
Ii is said that the presence of submarine that
unseen horror carrying deadly torpedo in its nose
viii disturb the morale of the best crew. men who
will face batteships broadsde with grin. But
what must be the effect of sleeping volcano amid
ships the crater OF which may be opened by single
spark, the blast of which instant and complete
obliteraton?
One would imagine panic-think of the scene
/, in theater that follows FOOLS cry of 'Firem-but
there not the semblance of it. Indeed there
change whatever, save, perhaps here and
there stifening OF shoulders widening of eyes,
sharp tenseness in the orders.
Silently and swiftly the crew took their stations
Fire and collision quarters were sounded. The flood
cocks opened The ship was swung right
about face and headed for the white beach
few seconds OF suspense followed. They must
have seemed hours An officer tells that his ears
rang-he thought OF il afterward-as he waited NOR
bdly. hercely, for that crack of doom
The water-through the wide open flood cocks
swiftly filled the lower magazines That was some
thing gained For moment they breathed easier;
then came the quick realization that it could never
rise to the II inch starboard magazine-the one Just
under the turret-not at least, before the flame
came. down. The fame would beat it-must beat it.
All! there ii was already. They saw it spurt out
from the top 1t was matter of seconds now
squad of men charged the magazines with pals
oi ~ater-neyer drop OF which filtered through
There was the scuttle. That would admit water
But II they opened it the draught would give the fire
the one thing II needed and more power than
buckets could meet and The fire hose might
do, but il would take too long to bring it up.
Fearless Monssen
One man, Chief Gunncr's Mate Monssen, was
thinking OF all this. His photograph shows him with
arms folded and cap almost concealing his eyes,
which are fearless and thoughtful His lips are thin
and set in straight wide line. He's the type OF
who sees and knows great deal more than he
talks about who is vastly different in repose and in
sction--in other words. the kind OF man who not
only rises independently TO emergency, but who
alone with Others, can face hopeless one dav
in and out till the die is cast
In MS mind he knew that there was but one
way TO save that magazine and that for a man
90 through the scuttle. close the door after him
and fight the FIRE with his hands He knew the
interior well that he could work there in the dark
II man job. He chief gunners mate
He was a man; it was his duty. He decided this