El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-05-16

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| navy than Johnston Blakely- Under
/ Rodgers, Dale, Decatur and Preble h
/ crulsed and saw action Ihere were
/ few more distinguished officers and
! there were few better practical in
/ structOrs. Blakely, naturally studious
! earnest and thorough, absorbed tbs
/ best that all had TO give out
When the war of 1912 came on he
/ did not get command of a ship until he
| almost had lost hope Of having the
! chance that all born leaders crave
! When. at last. he was assigned TO the
! Enterprise, he had high hope, but III
| luck seemed to be his portion. He
searched the seas for the enemy but
did not come across a British ship
Sixteen days after he left the Enter
price in obedience to orders TO proceed
10 Maine and hurry WORK on the build
ing Of a new ship which he was 10
I command, the Enterprise under the
command OF captain Burrows. met the
Boxer and fought and captured that
vessel after an engagement that made
Burrows national hero.
BIakeIy Meets Jane Again.
1t was while Blakely was depressed
over what seemed his i'll fortune that
letter came to him from Jane
Hooper. He had not heard from her in
years She was visiting in Boston,
she told him, and had heard much OF
him and Of the vessel he was build
ing. She was proud OF the rank he
he was held, and she would pray for
his success and his safety in the vOy-
age upon which he was soon to en-
bark
The letter revived all the memories
OF the little Of youth which Blakely
had known and he had n great long
ing 70 meet once more the little girl
who had done so much to bring sun
shine into his life The equipment for
his ship was coming from Boston and
there had been an annoying delay.
BY going to Boston he could hurry il
forward and see once more the Jane
OF his bOyhood-
It was a different Jane he met than
the one he held in memory. The gay
mink Of twelve had changed TO q
petite, rather demure, but very grace
ful and charming woman And the
Johnston Blakely Jane Hooper saw
was nothing like the Johnston Blake
" the boy, except for the deep black
OF the eyes. Biakely's hair was now
snow white. He had gone gray at IS
and was white haired before he was
80. She thought he was the most
distinguished looking man she ever
met No doubt he was Wherever he
went people stopped 10 look at him.
He was light OF foot and rather slen-
DERBY built but unusually powerful.
His features were handsome and his
eyes extraordinarily brilliant No one
could do more with a crew He was
kindly and yet a fine disciplinarian.
1aAAlA6 ua4 not Only respect uAL
tion, for him. They called him, as he
had been called at school, "Old John"
The captain and Jane Hooper had
much TO talk about He had to tell
he had heard OF his fathers death
and had hurried away TO the south
He tried to gloss over the stories OF
storms and sea fight, but Jane showed
Z little OF the temper OF Jane OF ten
or twelve, and he was ordered 70 tell
the details and he obeyed- She grieved
over his disappointment in respect OF
the Enterprise, but she was sure, OH
so sure, he was going to become
great hero and make his name and
the name OF the Wasp memorable. and
was so enthusiastic generally that the
color came TO Blakely's cheeks
" He told her much of the building Of
the Wasp and OF the men he was train
ing 10 handle the ship There never
was better vessel Of her inches built
he believed, and ne wished she could
see IL. She wished il, too
Day after day during that Boston
visit the captain was a caller upon
Jane Hooper. Each day she seemed
more winsome. charming and lovable
10 him He wondered why she never
had welded, she who might have
chosen where she wished
When he went back 10 Maine Il was
with a party Of her friends who, like
her. were eager to see the Wasp
II was joy to Blakely TO take
show everything and explain every
thing to her. When he showed her
the cabin that was TO be his. she asked
that he leave her for few minutes
The few minutes were long ones or
seemed so 10 him When he went TO
seek her there was redness about
the eyes that suggester tears and no
asked II she had been weeping she
the prayer she had spoken Of in Bos-
ton.
4 saiIOr'a WooInE.
Sailors. by nature of their calling,
have 70 make short work Of court
ship When Jane Hooper stepped
promised TO be the vile OF Johnston
Blakely- He went back with her 10
Boston. pleading. urging, insisting on
an immediate marriage And he had
his way
Within a month Of their marriage
the Wasp had TO 90 away to sea
Never was there a better manned yes
sci or better commanded one IN the
American navy. That opinion has been
given by Fenimore Cooper II mas
been given, too, by Theodore RoOse-
welt, in his History OF the Navy VI
the crew OF 173. all knew the sea All
were New Euglanders- Most OF IneIn
had smeIled powder in encounters with
privateers, pirates Spanlaros' FEehcn'
English or Malays-
News Travelled slowly enough in that
first quarter OF the nineteenth century
under the best Of conditions, but
Travelled still more slowly in the war
period More than four months hau
elapsed after the departure OF the
Wasp before the first news came OF
her Then it was a tale that thrilled
the nation. It was that IN geJJhs
away from Maine. captain Blakely NAG
cleverly eluded an English fleet ana
then had scOoted across the Atlantlc,
taking up a cruising position near the
western entrance TO the British chan-
mel on July % he had encountered
the British brig slOOp Reindeer. OF
which william Manners Of the ducal
house Of Rutland, was COMMANDER
The Reindeer was equipped with sll4t-
ing 12-Ib. carronade. while the guns o.
the Wasp were stationary me ShlLt-
Ing guns gave the Reindeer the adEah-
tage OF nine minutes OF firing oeIore
the Wasp could get in proper posllloh
to return a shot.
So well trained were the crew or the
Wasp that this attack was recelE ven
without a sign OF dismay- Men , lei
and others came forward 70 rsp-ICe
them. The minutes dragged sloNlS'
each one bringing death and deStI uc-
80 while the Wasp was being
b-oUqht around At last she was IN
Mace and then she opened fire IN
1fDeteeu minutes OF such accurate IRE
as British ship never had been exposed
10 before. the Reindeer was cut 10
-iaces Every officer was killed or
- severeIv wounded that he had been
- WTha shin was surrendered