The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-08-07

IL
ped down into the uproar of smash.
clashing metal.
With heightened anxiety and fear.
Widdrington stared mt the steam still
| outpourlng. The thunderous clanking
Of ponderous machinery gallopng loose
beat frightfully into his ear. With
much more Of 1t bilge plates would be
started.
| 1t was then that blear eyed. cinder
burnt signalman came hurrying along.
Flagship tiingin' out Chase signals.
sir" was his report.
When Torshell again dragged him
self on the bridge he was mere un-
shapely mass, held together by swaths
Of lint. Widdrington stepped hastily
to him and helped him up the last
rungs of the ladder. The captain look
ed into the scanned and scalded face.
nearly hidden beneath bandages. Said
he heartily: by heavens, we've pluck!
These men owe their lives to you.
Ye've pluck" And with this certifi-
cate forthcoming at last for service
done he dismissed the case for hero
ism.
But about this breakdown-what
can you do? Our east wing scouts are
In touch with the enemy, and here am
l not doing five knots. Never a shot
to be fired, and ahead they've got all
the work. Can you do nothing with
these starboard engines?"
They are in pretty bad fix, but
I'll do my best to work them for
time at least"
The senior engineer staggered to a
deep wallow Of the stricken vessel as
tumultuous swell tilted her casemat-
ed broadside. He would have fallen
headlong If the officers had not sprung
forward and caught him under the
arms. He moaned. my knee. My
knee. It's smashed
Half an hour later he was superin-
tending his officers and men. who,
stripped to their trousers, were clear
ing away the wreck Every order that
issued peremptorily from his blanched
lips went full and fair to the mark and
afforded succinct knowledge and con-
fidence to the grimy. sweating workers.
Theirs were unbegrudged obedience
and execution. for each now understood
his man. launched shouldered. he was
through physical agonies: yet know
ing that he held the lives of 700 men
and that great. glorious ship I'm his
hand, he maintained his will indomita-
BILE. Not detail escaped his eve or
slipped his brain.
".
Night had long since dropped. The
immense boat lay lurching from side
to side, plunging wildly under the tons
Of green seas that thudded like batter
ing rams against her bows and fore
castle what time the high walled swell
broke roaring.
make for northwest trade patrol.
Regain nearest port Much regret
breakdown" had been the sorely har-
assed vice admral's latest message
Captain Widdrington. barrel swath-
ed in shawls and many waterproofs.
was with the first and third lieutenants
on the afterbridge. YEARLY he turn
ed from straining his eyes over the in
distinct SUBMITS Of yeasty seas and
cleared the brine off his face and bushy
eyebrows with the fiat of his left hand.
He was cautiously making his way up
the bridge when suddenly he stopped
short Quartermaster shouted. "D'ye
hear that. sir?"
A faint boom had rung through the
stormy wind. ominous, like to dying
worlds last echo.
The first lodged a scattered spout OF
sea. IF the enemy drive down on us
will you fight. sir?"
"Yes. by heavens. AS well go down
fightin' as not. IL we can work ship
it's the very weather for us. See Tor
shell. l must risk the port engines"
And as. Wingate carefully made his
way on deck "Firin' east sou'east!'
was the lOokout's hail.
He climbed down the thirty odd feet
of slippery ladder into the maze of mo-
tionless machinery. AS he touched the
senior engineer on the elbow he noted
his inbent and quivering lips.
OdU say. WIS the dlSWeT. MeU-
be we will. But every man is workin'
his best If it is in my power the star
board mills III rum"
IF we can't steam God help us!'
calculated the first.
v.
AS the luckless warship flung herself
about the iron flooring beneath the
wornout men seesawed hither and
thither, throwing them Off their feet.
She evened herself in broad valley
Of the mountainous sea wastes.
TOrshell yelled: Let her 60! Let
her go!"
A breaking bill of wild water was
hurting itself on the weather quarter
lust as the chains ratified through the
blocks. Torshell lurched forward and
then. to the boats violent heeling. top
pied helplessly between the hinder col
umn Of the intermediate engine and
the banging mass Of cylinder gear.
Lower. Lower. Never mind mev'
came in an intense shrek. Their rack
ed and knotted arms pulled desperate
ly. and the disconnected workings were
lowered clear down to the floor plates.
The MANNED and bleeding mass of
flesh that had been Torshell. X. N. r..
was slipping into the crank pit. but
TorrolI on1 gn,,o o4ho.. .x~tA