Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-16

L NElNN. HMSs N4NaNNfN
"Up zoo" The mockery came from
the fire control station. "Up! Up!'
The runs could not be elevated any
farther; the gun crews. sweating and
gasping. loaded frantically, desper-
ately. to give the Pera one more shot
flor the Balch, boys~-before the
enemy were beyond a chance. But
the officers in the coming tower were
giving It up. The bugles blew:
"Cease fring"
Louden, the firing pointer, pressed
his fingers n his key. The gun be-
side him leaped back and the air out
side was riven. It was after the buglc
had blown. Louden turned and faced
Wendell with eyes burning.
II beg your pardon. sir, but I was
on and-my brother was boatswain
on the Balch!'
Bob nodded. The Pennsylvania had
ceased firing too. The sun Ind dis
appeared minutes before, and dusk
was settling swiftly, with clouds blow
ing up overhead. The enemy's cruis-
ers became only a spot OF smoke on the
horizon. and soon the smoke disap-
peared. Wendell saw to the unload.
ing Of the guns which had been ready.
The rifles Of the torpedo d~efense-the
twelve inch-nve guns on each side OF
the ship-were stll manned, but the
crews Of the fourteen inchers were
crawling out Of the turrets. As Wen
dell stood again on the quarter deck,
moving reefs. ' which waves were
breaking. appeared OF to the left-the
American K and Il submarines steer
Ing on the surface and making for the
shelter OF Chesapeake bay.
Bob watched the tiny craft rolling
and tossing almost helplessly as they
struggled with, the sea; they seemed
scarcely to or hold Roadway.
There was no need to question. as one
watched them, why they had failed to
gain position from which they could
have attacked the escaping Carthage
and the Peras; the ensigns In command
had all they could do to manage their
vessels at all: indeed, the fotilla COM
mander was signaling the Pennsylva-
nia-:Bob saw the winktng light-for
aid. A light from the dreadnaught
flashed In reply; the commodore could
not spare q destroyer to tender the
submarines now, but he was wireless
ing the roads to send a tender.
Wendell gazed back grimly over the
rough Vel in which the American sub
mersibles were laboring. The regents
rr6nNw-ofoo hno$ 60 xrnpo r. ooY~ khnNn k~o.
but instead Of searching for aid, the
enemy's submersibles were forcing the
American battleships and d~estroyers
to keep on at twenty knots, to man
every torpedo defense gun, and double
all lookouts. They had shown no
more than their periscopes, but every
one knew what they were-great nm
dersea cruisers capable Of keeping to
the sea in V weathers and OF
maintaining themselves for weeks
without a. tender.
"God help u KS and LIS" some one
muttered as the American submarines
disappeared into the darkness. ri. they,
run across the regents rs"
"Td swap them chances" some one
else rejoined. We've i've destroyers
to ourselves and the Pennsylvania this
nightr'
Bob Wendell kept silent, but he fol
lowed the feeling Of his companions.
The X and Il boats were taking ter.
rible chances, but certainly neither the
Pennsylvania nor the Arizona could
spare them a convoy. With the Balch
gon FIVE destroyers remained to do
picket and outpost duty for two
superdreadnaughts. Four for e6ch
ship would be a minimum for safety:
the regent protected even his cruisers
Of the Pera class with four destroyers
each; it was known that the princes
d~readnaughts had six O eight destroy
ers apiece.
(To Be Continued)