Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-29

SO
81: -
Ne Sat Up and Tssk Out the Picture.
the blsckness about; and once, 1t an
alarm which brought al men aboard
the battleships running to torpedo de-
Tense stations, . gun clattered from the
Alvin and Bob saw the streaks Of the
shells, AZ tho tracer lights dared on
the backs Of the projectiles travelling
toward the target simultaneously the
searchlights showed q destroyer steal
ing toward the squadron. FiftY,guns
spat at Il; the blaekness was streaked
by the flares Of the tracer lights and
the destroyer tried to escape. But
while the searchlights still showed it
shell struck q torpedo board, and be-
fore the Aylwin reached the spot the
eneny's ship was gone.
That squares for the Balchr' Bob
said 10 himself when the firing had
ceased, but - he repeated It he grew
more tense when the lightning again
gave him sight Of the sea: and through
ont the American ships every omcer
and man remained at torpedo defense
stations. Had the enemy destroyer
sold itself well7 Was its appearance
forerunnsr Of 4 greater torpedo at
tack; OF, before the vessel blew up,
had II wirelessed Information which
should bring upon the American squad
ron q superior force Of the enemy in
the morning1
The -four drsadnaushfs were steam
ing to surprise the regents chips which
were known 10 b detailed 70 cut "a
the Ames3eaa ships coming from the
gulf. Woulasukprisen now inset counter.
surprise:
For litfle lnnger. st least. God rode
In the hurricane. A war vessel-she
was great ship with one mast gone
WAS ashore and pounding 10 pieces
on Cape Hattesas. Life savers were
trying to got to the wreck, but she
had 1oundered deep and far out The
Arlsona,s radio picked up tho news
first st.2 O'Clock. An hour later more
news came. The life savers had res
cued some oe the men from the WRECK
ed ship. and wrsckase was coming
ashore The vessel was the armored
cruiser Gerel Of the Pera class
damaged IN the fight with the Arizona
30 that when the storm came she did
not steer. Fifty officers and men had
been killed by gunfre. OF the re-
manning 600 thirty-four had been saved.
When tho news was brought him Bob
saw 70 It that word was passed 1T once
to Louden.
How strage was war! The news
that tho Gerel was lost with almost
al her crew had brought to Bob exulta-
ton. triumph; yet, in tie Wild mael-
strom Of the sea of Cape Hatteras,
hfs count1ymen were risking their lives
In little boats to ave q score Of that
crew-that crew who in tho morning
had shelled, Virginia Beach. And.
likely enough, inside the Hatteras keys,
or in projected waters elsewhere the
enemy 1ubmarinss were waiting out
the storm. q along the coast they were
lurking on shelves of~sand q hundred
feet below the surface Well, at least
tonight they could not strike, and the
regents air craft also must be useless.
But was not the gale beginning to les.
sen? There WAS no doubt Of It; and
through the clouds to the east there
was showing the gray Of dawn.
Nellie Wendell, on her knees by the
window Of her room in her fathers
house nc Elgin, saw the dawn. The
news had come in the evening that the
ships from Hampton Roads had been
engaged. They had driven on and
damaged ssveral Of the enemy's ships.
4 Nellie did not know certainly upon
which Of the American ships Bob was.
Sic was not certain, indeed, that he
was upon any Of them, but she be-
lisved no had been In the battle. The
ybuI1etin which came TO Elgin gave no
account of American Casualties; 90, as
she waited for moro definite word. she
prayed-as those who wait must often
nsay-ln perfectly irrational petition.
She prayed that her husband had not
been Killed or course II he was
killed. he was killed, and prayer could
not alter that; but thus that night Mel
lie had prayed as girls and women
9ike her were praying IN ten thousand
homes.
With the dawn strangely there came
20 her faith that her husband, still was
ssfe. 80 convinced was she Of It. some
how. that she bent her head In an ut
tcrance Of thanksgiving to Cod for
haring, brought her husband through
the battle; then. humbly. fervently. she
petitioned that he still might be spared
How empty and strange the big
house vas! Bob was away. Of course:
Jim also was gone. The door Of his
room stood open. He was with his
regiment IN Chicago. where there were
terrible mobs and rioting. the bulletins
SAID. Troops had fred and had been
nred upon; bombs had been. thrown
and many nil.tiamcn killed. Was It
possible that Jim might have been In
greater danger that night than Bob?
(psnuauoo ga OH
The health is generally improved
after an attack of govt.