The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-17
A NAVY STORY
UNDER U. S. FLAG
The Searchlight Thrown On
Old Merrimac.
Told By An Inmate In a Few Short Serial
Stories. Containing Many Inter
esting Places Visited, and
The Services Rendered
By O. p. b.
CONTINUED From Last Week.

Continued From Last Week.
Imagine our disappointment to
find out that she was the e. S. S.
Machias, who was doing scout duty,
but the members of that crew will
never know how near they came to
going to Davy jones' locker that
night. After the excitement was over
we bid the Machias good night, and
proceeded on our way. suppose
that l should now state that the
New Orleans had never been seen
by any of the ships in these waters
which put us in precarious losi-
ton, for we were always mistaken
for a Spaniard when sighted by ou1
own people.
The following morning, after Ou1
encounter with the Machias, shortly
after day ybreak, the lookout in the
foretop reported a smoke close in
shore. We Immediately gave chase,
the stranger like ourselves was not
flying any colors, we were bearing
down on her at full speed, the gen.
eral alarm was sounded and every
man was at his station ready for a
scrap, which we were ali itching for,
but had the stranger proved an en-
emy we would not have lasted long,
for she was the U. S. Monitor Pur-
itan" and one of her II inch shells
properly placed would have put us
out of commission. Just when we
were within firing distance. she hoist
ed signal asking who we were, had
the answer been misinterpreted by
some mistake, l feel sure that l
would not be here today reiterating
these memoirs. | was afterward
told by one of her gun captains that
every available gun was trained on
us, and the slightest mistake would
have sent us to the bottom, for he
said that by our build we were taken
for one of the enemy. After ex-
changing compliments. we returned
to our convoy, disgusted over an
other false alarm.
Nothing else Of Importance hap
pened that day until just after SUM-
down. when we were nearing Cape
Maysie, when the lookout reported
a smoke dead ahead, again at full
speed we gave chase, as it was be-
coming dark we got within signal
ing distance and used the inter-
national signal code, and also the
private code, but could get no
answer, then the stranger turned
and fled before us. and the way she
could make time in running away
humiliated us. with all our speed she
made us feel as though we were
some slow old tramp steamer, but
by making a great detour we were
able to overhaul her, anG surprised
her about midnight, only to find her
the Paris of the American Line,
which had been chartered by the
government, and was on her way to
Philadelphia. Pa.
Before morning we rounded Cape
Maysie, and the following afternoon
we arrived off of Santiago DE Cuba,
and reported to Admiral Schley.
The U. S. S. Massachusetts and
the Brooklyn" Immediately began
to take on coal at sea from the Mer-
rlmac. AS Schley was blockading
Santiago, we took our place in line.
all of the ships forming Lalf circle
before the entrance to that fort, all
the ships would maintain their pos
ltions during the day at about seven
miles out. and at night we would
close in to about three miles. The
entrance to that port was SO narrow
that one not familiar with its location,
and passing it six or seven miles out
at sea, would never dream that there
was an entrance there, and the
coast ia quite even and regular.
For one who has never done any
blockading duty, it is almost i'm
possible to conceive the idea OF the
monotony of such work. doing duty
at four hours on and eight off in the
engine room is some strain on fell
low, l can assure you, first turning
the engines over ahead slow, then
stop, then back was no dwarfs call
ing, and the climatic conditions
were sucL that one could not sleep
tween decks" on account of the
heat, and many a night have laid
in the open air with only one blank
ct, and that was used to keep the