The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-19
ASLEEP AT THE
POST OF DUTY
A Startling Episode OF the
War With Spain.

there's a story about that but If 1t
got out it would ruin me. They say
some are great, some achieve great.
ness and some have greatness thrust
upon them. had it thrust upon me.
1t was in the summer OF 1893 off
Havana. Hot? Well. it couldn't be
hotter except under volcano, just
the kind of weather for one to lie in
hammock and smoke cigarettes. But
I we had regular duties all day, and
both day and night we didn't know but
that a Spanish torpedo boat would
blow US skyward We never felt easy.
Every time any of US saw launch or
, a yawi in the distance we'd make as
much fuss as If torpedo were under
our bows. Ever see one of 'em?
4, They're the ugliest things afoat. Once
in an aquarium saw the worst look
ing fish that swims. a hellbender, and
q torpedo boat always reminds me Of
! that fish--compact, low. black, all iron.
the torpedo sticking out at the bow.
the whole vomiting smoke.
That's what torpedo boat is.
One night / was in charge of the
searchlight. shouldn't have been put
in charge, for l had been doing duty
in the captains launch all day. go
ing between the ships Of the feet. and
was tired out However. l was on
watch and kept the light moving. One
of the men with me was taken sick,
and sent him below. The other l
sent to the galley to get me cup of
coffee. He stayed away long enough
to bail the ocean, while l was left
alone with the light
When a man has been keeping one
of those things moving till 2 o'clock in
the morning he is apt to get tired. and
when he's tired he's apt to get sleepy.
and when he's sleepy he's apt to go to
sleep. Even the great Farragut when
a little MILDLY of ten years went to
sleep on watch, but he didn't suffer for
doing 80 as a man would have to. The
officer who caught him took off his
pea jacket and put it over him. l did
all I could to keep my mind fixed on
the punishments prescribed for Sleep
ing on watch in time of war, from
dismissal to hanging at the yardarm
but it didn't do any good. The first
thing knew-or, rather, didn't know
l was sound asleep 1t makes my hair
curl today to think of it-in the United
States navy. looking out for the most
dreaded cause for destruction known.
the ship. perhaps the whole feet, de-
pendent upon my watchfulness, and
asleep at the searchlight!
Suddenly. awoke. l gave a yell
and touched an electric connection. In
a few seconds more the whole ships
company came tumbling up the COM
panion ways, from the meanest jackie
to the captain.
Now, what do you suppose was the
cause Of my alarm? Right out in the
track of the searchlight, coming for us
like a shot, was something black. 1t
was moving so straight that l only
saw its bow, giving it the appearance
of round spot on the water. There
was no smoke, and it must have been
literally riding the waves. for l could
not see that it kicked up a particle OF
spray.
You can imagine my sensations, but
not very perfectly. A moment before l
had been asleep. What guardian angel
; had awakened me? Suppose l had
} slept few minutes longer! Though
; all this flashed on me as l saw an in
strument of humiliation approaching,
my mind made another picture which
) couldn't drive away-myself hanging
; by the neck at the yardarm.
Suddenly the advancing torpedo boat
seemed to leave the water and start
for the sky. 1t took me just two Sec
onds to face the glass, and there.
crawling upward on its outer surface.
was gnat! l had mistaken the shad-
ow cast by the little beast for a tor
pedo boat. Here l was out of one
scrape and into another. had arous-
ed the ship for nothing. Before 1
could get back to my position in rear
of the searcher the captain himself
had caught hold of it and was turning
it about rapidly.
"What is it? Where is it2" he cried
excitedly.
1.-THE fact is, captain-you see"-
Before I could tell him that / had
mistaken a gnat's shadow for torpe-
do boat the real thing stood out plain
ly under the searcher. There she was,
the ugly black looking craft / have
described to you, coming for us, plow.
ing the water into two fans, a dense
cloud of smoke pouring from the
stack.
tell you the captain didn't wait for
anybody to repeat his orders, and in
less time than it takes to tell it a shot
had gone for that torpedo boat. But
it wasn't needed. The Spaniards, see
ing they were discovered. turned as
quickly as possible and showed us
their boats stern.
Just as soon as the affair had quiet,
ed down the captain stepped up to
me and said:
"Mr. b., you have done only your
duty, but there are times when sim.
nlv doinn Ona's dufv oOt1nta for a