New-York tribune., 1916-07-30

soul-shaking. ! had always drawn a
mental picture Of the two fleets, in
line ahead. pounding away at each
other, with us (light cruisers) looking
on. seeing ali that was happening from
van TO rear, and everything obvious
as a cricket match.
81 might have known from Heligo-
land that circumstances alter cases;
but somehow l never thought of a
general action in a thick mist where
you could not see half your own feet,
let alone the enemy's. But so il was;
and vast forms loomed up out of
the mist, firing like Billy-o at other
ships that were perfectly invisible.
81 saw the lnvincible-my old In
vincible, blow up like the Bulwark.
right alongside US, hardly a mile off,
a great crimson race of fame hun
dred feet high and perhaps two hun
dred broad, that went up leisurely,
contemptnously with an awful majes-
tic dignity, to good four hundred
feet; at its very top an immense bulk
of ships plating, and many lesser bits.
Then the deep red faded out and there
remained only a black pail below,
merging in the general pail that the
many ships smoke at full speed were
creating; and above, new billowy
cloud added TO the others in the sky,
and only 10 be distinguished by its
greater height.
Eighteen minutes later the pail
cleared sufficiently to enable one to
see her bows sticking up above water
at an angle, her red bottom above her
gra. side, her stern equally sticking
up at an angle, red uppermost There
they stayed, the British feet pass
ing by on either side, going into action.
Star of Bethlehem.
q" The enemy signalled his final
retirement, the day done with really
lovely star-shell, which quite warmed
my heart toward him who have al
ways loved fireworks; and after all the
furious deep red displays of pyrotech-
MICS we had been treated TO for over
three hours, this gentle, COOL pure
white, silent star of Bethlehem, was
quite like the Spirit Of Peace coming to
brood over us. That was actually the
last we really saw of the enemy, for
although some Of the others got heavily
engaged that night, and sank a first
class Hun, we at least got no more
work
There is no more to tell. No one
stopped firing when the Invincible
blew up, as they did at the battle of
the Nile when Torrent did the same;
we moderns have got beyond all these
courtesies. Nor did we notice the
noise of the explosion. which seems to
suggest that there was good deal or
other strange noises-as indeed was
the case
In a letter to his father, written
next day, the young officer sad
"Well, | wrote you rather a glum
note, which l enclosed in C's letter,
but remember that ! was still under
the influence Of seeing two British
battle-cruisers blown up just like
,hild's squib, and that as far as we
then knew, we had played game with
the enemy with ships as chips, and had
forfeited six TO his none.
"But since then more news has come
TO hand: tales of sunken battleships
I'VE lost none, you know and shattered
battle-cruisers; eye-witnesses' descrip-
tions of sunk light cruisers that | had
not even seen; a circumstantial &C
count from our revered leader Of the
torpedolng of one of the enemy's
finest battleships: and the effect Of
blowing up Of the Invincible and Queen
Mary has worn off considerably.
A Cruiser Sinks.
81 remember lots of things. | re-
member a Hun light cruiser lying
stopped right in the path of our battle
fleet, steam pouring from her tunnels
and flames spouting from her decks,
shells still bursting on her and the
sunlight playing on her well-kept side.
ale causeth the sun to shine on
tho Just and on the unjustl She was
only able to avoid cur battleships by
the primitive and not wholly satisfse-
tory method of-sinkingl
II remember also 8 sight that Will
last as long in my memory as that Of
the sinking Mainz and the death OF
the Invincible. As those were tho
essence Of shattered matter, so this
was the essence of triumphant spirit
A little British destroyer. her mid
ships rent by great shell, meant for a
battle cruiser, exuding steam from
every port, able 10 60 ahead, but
not TO steer, coming down diagonally
across our line (which was rather
con gested just there), unable TO
get out of Anybody's way; likely to be
rammed by any one of dozen ships;
her siren whimpering, Let me through !!
Make way!' her crew fallen in aft,
dressed IN lifebe!ts, ready for her final
plunge, and cheering wildly, as might
an enthusiastic crowd when the King
passes. Perfectly magnificent! Thank
God | am an Englishman!
"You will be glad to hear that she
Il. aftar oil gafa The
Invincible had Just blown up, the
Queen Mary ten minutes earlier. She
had Just been winged, and that was
her reply-spontaneou cheering from
her crew.
81 remember, too. dashing out from
where we had been TO strsfe the Hun
destroyers. Somebody said, 'Subma-
rine! We looked again, and saw 1t
was q destroyer bottom up. None OF
ours had been near there.
One Ship Against a Fleet.
IL remember dashing out again to
strsfe destroyers, and finding their
whole line of battle instead. That was
exciting. but. too, IL was one of life's
cherished moments when We had re-
turned TO the fold and humping
great battleship made a signal. Who
is firing at your and We replied, The
enemys battle feet!' Rien que cs
There was also that evening star
she'll, descending like the dove Of peace
over the troubled waters, about which
/ wrote TO mother. ! would not have
missed that for the world
Nov judge vel The Huns say they
went north on an enterprise; that they
encountered the British feet and re-
turned 70 port What OF their enter
,rfos1 l. hot